Gina Maria Mangiapane, passed away on March 29, 2021, in Peoria, Arizona. She was 94 years old. She was born in Detroit, MI, on May 21, 1926, the daughter of the late John (Giovanni) and Colomba Mattiucci. For much of her life, Gina went by the name “Jean” as it was the American translation of her name. When she started school, it was her teachers who were eager to Americanize the names of their students whose parents were immigrants. “Gina” was called “Janet” at one point, and then “Jean”. When Gina moved to Sun City and she had to get a new driver’s license, and provide official documentation, she decided to go by her given name, which she liked better.
Some of the happiest years of her life were spent on a small farm in Holley, NY, where her mother, father, older brother, Albert, and younger brother, Raymond, moved during the great depression. She had many stories about living in a farm home without running water, electricity and only a wood burning stove for heat and cooking. She loved the cats, dogs, and farm animals. She rode bareback on their plow horse, milked the cows and her little goat (who she named “Scudzy”). She helped her mother make cheese, picked peas, tomatoes, cherries, and worked right along with the rest of her family members. She loved to visit her cousins in Rochester, and also loved when they would come to spend time with her and her brothers in the summer time. She told us stories about walking to their one-room school house in the snow, and then later attending Holley Jr./Sr. High School.
The family moved back to Detroit when Gina was going into 9thgrade. She went to Barbour Jr. High and then to Eastern High School. She enjoyed being a majorette with the twirling team. Living in a big city was a new adjustment for her, but she made friends easily and maintained friendships with some of those same girlfriends throughout their adult lives. She worked at Chrysler Corporation in Highland Park when she was 16 years old as a runner (messenger/ visitor escort) and file clerk in the blueprint vault. She loved that job.
Gina’s older brother, Albert, introduced her to his fiancée’s brother, Tony (Antonio) Mangiapane in 1942. She was taken with Tony’s good looks, attention, and generosity. She said he resembled the movie star, Errol Flynn. Gina and Tony were married in 1945. They had four children: Anthony was the firstborn, then Joann (who sadly passed away at 3 months old), Shirley, and then David. They were together for 59 years, until Tony’s passing in 2004.
The family lived in Detroit and then later in Sterling Heights. Lots of good times were enjoyed with all the relatives, most of whom lived nearby. There were countless gatherings for birthdays, holidays, picnics, weddings, etc. She so loved family gatherings and all the meals and laughter we shared together. She was a wonderful homemaker who liked cooking, baking, sewing, and keeping a tidy home. When living on Cooper St. in Detroit, she was the translator for many of the immigrant Italian families who rented the upstairs second story flat. English was her second language. Italian was her first. She was always interested in her family member’s activities, and attended as many school and sports events that she could. She encouraged her children to do well in school, to have confidence in themselves, and to exercise good judgment. She reminded us to be careful, stay safe, and maintain good health. Her love for her family was always evident, and the love her family had for her was immeasurable.
When her parents moved to Florida and started a restaurant business in 1950, Tony and Gina and their children spent their annual summer vacations there. A few years later, when other family members took over the restaurant business, John and Colomba moved to Arizona. Tony and Gina then made Arizona their annual vacation destination to visit Gina’s parents in Youngtown. Eventually, Tony and Gina planned to move to the warm and dry climate of Arizona when Tony retired.
Tony retired from Chrysler Corporation in 1984. They sold their home in Sterling Heights, packed up their belongings, and moved to Sun City. They made many friends in Sun City and enjoyed many social events together. Gina was active in the Needle Craft Club and crocheted many beautiful pieces, including afghans for her children and grandchildren.
In 1995, Gina was diagnosed with oral cancer. Never a tobacco user and fastidious about her dental health, it was just an unfortunate occurrence. She underwent multiple surgeries, the removal of four inches of her jaw, the reconstruction of it with bone taken from her hip, dental implants, etc. In between there were several radiation treatments, hyperbaric chamber treatments, loss of taste and smell, difficulty chewing and swallowing. She suffered through many uncomfortable moments, but she maintained her fortitude to get better. Despite all those difficulties she was a survivor for over 25 years.
Gina was always kind, compassionate, caring, hospitable and gracious. She was the type of person who put others before herself. The wellbeing of her family was of utmost importance to her. She reminded us to always treat others as we would want to be treated. She did not gossip and advised her children that “those who gossip to you, gossip of you.” She had a genuine purity in everything she said—never pretentious, always truthful, and a good example for her children and grandchildren.
In 2015, Gina thought it was time to move to a senior facility where she no longer had to worry about the upkeep of her home. She enjoyed living at Palos Verdes Senior Living in Peoria, AZ, in an independent apartment. Last year she moved to the facility’s Memory Care unit where she was cared for by a loving staff. She loved nature and frequently spent time outdoors, sitting on the patio of the Memory Garden. On March 22, she fell on the cement patio after losing her balance. She didn’t lose consciousness, but had a large hematoma on the back of her head. There were no broken bones, but Gina was just too weak to recover. After one week of trying hard to get better, she finally found peace.
Gina is survived by her 3 children and their spouses: Anthony (Pam) Mangiapane; Shirley (John) Worden; and David (Angela) Mangiapane; 8 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers: Albert Mattiucci and Raymond Mattiucci.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to Hospice, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or Support for People with Oral & Head & Neck Cancer SPOHNC.org or your favorite charity. To send condolences to Gina's family, please visit www.SunlandMemorial.com.
FAMILY
Shirley WordenDaughter
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