Angelina Jeanette Baggese- her friends knew her as “Angie” passed away on the warm golden rays of morning sunrise on Sept.13th, 2018 with her family surrounding her. Our mom Angie was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois to Luigi and Regina Sgattoni.
Angie moved to San Jose with her parents and siblings when she was very young and made San Jose her home for the rest of her long and loving life. Angie graduated from Woodrow Wilson Jr High and San Jose High School and excelled at mathematics and English. Following Angie’s graduation from high school she worked the next several years as a book keeper for various local businesses. In 1946 Mom reluctantly at the urging of her best friend Angie, went on a blind date with her best friends’ fiancés buddy from the U.S. Army during WW2. Mom was told this guy was perfect cause he was short just like her. That blind date ended up being her loving and devoted husband Marino Baggese for the next 53 years until dad passed away in 2003. After Angie married she became a full-time mom and home maker and was unparalleled at both. Mom lovingly raised her 5 children and later helped immensely in raising her two grandchildren Steven and Christina Baggese. Mom had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh. She was notorious for pulling cute little practical jokes on her kids when they weren’t expecting it. She would just shake with laughter and so would we- like after she would jump behind you from a doorway and scaring one of us as we walked in the house. Mom never lost that cute innocent sense of humor and maintained her sweet, loving and compassionate personality to the end. Mom particularly loved to cook and specialized in Italian dishes. Her favorite time of year was Christmas when she would hand make 450 beef raviolis, no machines for this little Italian kitchen magician- just ingredients and an indented ravioli rolling pin her mother gave her and her two hands. She would also bake about 400 Italian style cookies and desserts of various varieties plus the “sugo”for the raviolis. No one who ever came to Angie’s house and her tavolo della cucina, no matter what time of year ever left hungry. We were always so proud of our mom for that culinary generosity and skill. Angie nursed her mother Regina back to health from a serious cancer scare in the early 60’s and again later in the 1960’s from the deadly Hong Kong flu epidemic sweeping the country at the time. Mom took great pride and satisfaction in lovingly and successfully helping her mom back to health during those serious illnesses. Mom’s greatest sorrow in life was the death of her son and our brother, Steven, from bone cancer on the day after Thanksgiving in 1973. Mom had lived at Stanford Children’s Hospital for 6 months, sleeping on a cot right next to her son’s hospital bed administering aid and comfort to Steve until that last terrible day in 1973. After Steve’s death our family was forever changed but mom moved heaven and earth through her grief to always provide the love, care and support to her family, particularly for her two younger sons. That type of love and care had been her hallmark her entire life. Mom was deeply saddened by the passing of her cherished and deeply loved husband and our father Marino in 2003 but mom still maintained her sense of humor and generously kind disposition through this heartbreak and beyond. Unfortunately, Mom became ill with Alzheimer’s disease just short of her 90th birthday. She bravely fought the illness and still managed for the most part to continue her routines including her Christmas dinners for the following 2-3 years. After that the effects of her condition prevented her from continuing being the greatest cook we have ever known and learned from. Because of the way Mom set an example in the way she cared for her mother and son during their illnesses her immediate family members tried to do the same for her. Mom was always a fighter and did not fade into the night willingly or quickly still for the most part maintaining her perky personality through these trying times. Mom would regularly sing along in Italian to some of her favorite singers even till her last days. Our Mom Angie will be missed tremendously but she will always be thought of and remembered and loved with all our hearts-though now broken- forever more until we all are together as tutti famiglia again in the afterlife. Bella Fortuna Momma!!
Angie was pre-deceased by her parents Luigi and Regina Sgattoni, husband Marino, son Steven and brothers Peter and Joe Sgattoni and sister Dina Bondi.
Angie is survived by her remaining children, David, Jeanette, Kevin and Brian Baggese and two grandchildren and one great grandson (Nikolas) and many nieces and nephews.
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