Mirella Giulia Alongia

Mirella Giacomelli Alongia, or as the family would call Nonna, passed away on July 25, 2026, at the age of 95. Born in Rome in 1931 and raised in Spain, she studied piano and composition at the Conservatorio Professional de Música in Sevilla, Spain before marrying her beloved Sam in 1958 and settling in Metairie, where they raised their three children. Fluent in Italian and Spanish, she famously taught herself English through television soap operas while juggling motherhood, piano lessons, and retail work during Sam’s long stretches at sea.

Nonna was the heart of her family – the maker of unforgettable Sunday Italian dinners, the creator of handmade baby clothes, and the host of every holiday gathering. Her home overflowed with art, music, and warmth, anchored by her cherished mahogany piano. A lifelong lover of the performing arts, she played Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart beautifully and shared her passion with her grandchildren through countless trips to the Saenger Theatre, where she was a long-time season ticket holder. In her free time, she enjoyed many other hobbies, including gardening, swimming, and crocheting. She was a talented seamstress and voracious reader, and she enjoyed watching football, the Tigers on Saturdays and the Saints on Sundays. She was also a lifelong parishioner of St. Angela Merici Catholic Church in Metairie.

Mirella was preceded in death by her loving husband of 38 years, Sam Alongia Sr; her parents, Carlo Alberto Giacomelli and Ideale M Pennesi Giacomelli; and her brother, Claudio Giacomelli.

She is survived by her daughters, Lucia Romagosa (Late David) and Carla Schiffer (Steve); her son Sam Jr. (Sylvia); her sister Loretta Durand; her grandchildren, Tiffanie Lapene (Joey), Holly Barton (Kristopher), Corey Schiffer (Aimee), Jillian Pace (Marshall), Gabriela Alongia, Natalie Bass (Late David), and Caitlin Romagosa; and her great grandchildren, Emma Grace and Aidan Joseph Lapene, Giulia Quinn and Joshua Jasper Moody, Klara Ivy Barton, Talia Rose, Grant James, Berlin Rose Schiffer, Benjamin David, and Noah Carson Bass. She also leaves behind dozens of beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins that span both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Nonna’s greatest joy was her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, each of whom she adored with unmistakable tenderness. Nonna’s generosity, humor, creativity, and unwavering devotion shaped generations. She will be remembered as a remarkable woman who always put others first and whose love made her home – and her presence – the family’s true treasure.

The family would like to give special thanks to the staff of Trinity Trace Community Care Center, who ensured Nonna lived her last days with dignity, peace, and comfort. They would also like to acknowledge the special care given by Cathay Lawson, Suzanne Maitre, Florence Peyton, and Chandrell Pace.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 12:00PM. A visitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00AM. The interment will follow the mass at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

“As Mirella was a lifelong patron of the arts, the family asks for donations to the Jefferson Performing Arts Society in lieu of flowers if so inclined.” https://www.jpas.org/donate/

To view and sign the Family online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com