After a courageous and valiant battle with her third bout with cancer, Maria Giacobbe Alessandra passed away at her home on May 29, 2021, with her daughter by her bedside. Maria is survived by her daughter, Nan Alessandra, and is also survived by her brother, Joseph Giacobbe (the late Gwen Delle), her sisters, Lee Giacobbe Facenda (Aubrey) and Terri Giacobbe (Wayne Fishbein), many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, cousins, friends who were like family and countless students who spanned generations of her 75 year teaching career. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence Giacobbe and Leona Bateman Giacobbe, her three siblings, Georgie Giacobbe Brown (survived by Tommy), George Giacobbe (survived by Gail), and Robert Giacobbe (survived by Tamara), and by her eldest daughter, Toni Alessandra Lovejoy. Although it is not possible here to summarize in a few words a 92 year life well lived, a glimpse at some highlights of the trail blazed by Maria during her life paint a picture of her remarkable life and legacy.
Oliver Wendell Holmes observed that life is like painting a picture. That observation could not be more apt for describing the life portrait of Maria. Maria made her entrance on the world stage as the first child of newlyweds, Lawrence and Leona Giacobbe. She was born at the end of the “Roaring 20’s” and appropriately made her stage entrance on Valentine’s Day. Maria was a proud member of the Greatest Generation and she embodied the “Renaissance Woman.” Although women had earned the right to vote only nine years before her birth, Maria was a trailblazer whose early childhood was marked by vigorous intellectual and artistic activities.
Dance training began at an early age with Gerry Fenasci in the early 1930’s and continued with Lelia Haller in classical ballet. Ballet training led her to perform with the New Orleans Opera Association Ballet, where she danced with Royes Fernandes, who later became a principal male dancer for American Ballet Theater for decades. She also danced alongside his sister, Jeanne Fernandez Bruno, and they remained lifelong friends. It was during this same period of educational and dance training that she performed with the USO during World War II, along with her first cousin, Mary Ann Lambert deLaneuville, as the “Lambert Sisters.” Their grandmother accompanied them to perform for the troops. Maria’s dedication to her craft continued through opera performances in both high school (where she was salutatorian of Holy Name of Jesus High School) and through college at Loyola University, where she graduated cum laude. While choreographing for Loyola University, she met her late future husband, Anthony Alessandra, who became the father of their 2 daughters.
She was active in the performing arts since 1943, when the dance studio, Giacobbe Academy of Dance, was opened by Maria and her sister, Georgie. The legacy they started continues today with her brother Joseph, who is also director of the Delta Festival Ballet. After graduating from Loyola in physical education, Maria’s versatility became more evident when in addition to teaching dance, she began teaching educational courses at Metairie High School, Holy Name of Jesus, Riverdale and Grace King High schools. She formed dance teams at some of the high schools, with the Grace King dance team being asked to perform as the lead off position for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. In the late 1960’s, Maria and Joseph co-founded the Delta Festival Ballet, where they imported professional dancers and instructors from all over the world to teach and perform with the Company and at the studio. A Who’s Who of international dance stars, such as Edward Villela, Patricia McBride, Cynthia Gregory, Royes Fernandez and Gelsey Kirkland were early international guest stars that inspired students and audiences. Maria and Joseph later founded the New Orleans Youth Ballet to give dancers ten years and older the opportunity to gain invaluable experience that has fostered many to pursue professional careers in dance and in other professions such as the legal and medical professions. In 1984, Maria was honored by St. Mary’s Dominican College and the Women’s Office of the City of New Orleans as one of the “area’s outstanding women artists.” She also received the Mayor’s Arts Award in 1988. In 1993, she was honored by Dance Magazine for her outstanding contributions in dance and she received a Proclamation from the Jefferson Parish Council for a half century of dedicated teaching. She reigned as Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, for the Krewe of Muses and in 2000, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Classical Awards Committee of the Big Easy Organization. There were many other civic awards too numerous to mention. Maria’s life portrait became complete on May 29th, and her life portrait is one of her artistic achievement, dedication and more importantly, an inspiration for generations of her students. Her life was always guided by her deep faith, her hope to persevere no matter what obstacles she faced and a boundless unselfish love for her family, friends, students and community.
Maria embraced every role she had during her 92 years as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, dancer, performer and teacher. She touched the lives of all who had the good fortune to know her. As a teacher for 75 years, she taught with a rare combination of discipline, dedication and passion overlaid by a deep maternal care for each of her students.
Maria was fortunate that during the final chapter of her life filled with obstacles and challenges, her trail was made easier by the love, compassion, concern and kindness of her sister, Terri, Richard Rholdon and Christopher Facenda, who were like her surrogate sons, Dottie Matthews, Ariana Howell, Beryl Mahl, Carmen Martinez, Lucy, and Notre Dame Hospice, especially Debbie Chapman and Mimi Calix. God bless you all.
A celebration of Maria’s life will be held at St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church, 4317 Richland Ave., Metairie, Louisiana, on Thursday, June 3, 2021, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with visitation. A memorial mass and funeral service will immediately follow at 12:00 p.m. A private interment will follow at All Saints Mausoleum at Metairie Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Maria’s memory to a charity of your choice. Maria strongly believed in paying it forward. An online guestbook is available at lakelawnmetairie.com.
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