Amelia "Millie" Giudicessi

Amelia “Millie” Rosaria Filippelli Giudicessi passed away surrounded by the love of family on March 10, 2018 just a few weeks away from her 90th birthday. Like all of us, human beings, Amelia was a person with multiple gifts and talents. She was an unconditionally loving mother to her children, sometimes when needed, providing tough love. She was a doting grandmother and great-grandmother, and a generous and welcoming mother-in-law and aunt. She was a fantastic cook whose specialties were dishes of the home of her ancestors: Calabria, Italy. Friends of her children eagerly took advantage of an opportunity to sit at Millie’s dinner table.

Amelia was a very social person. She loved a good party and was the organizer of many, especially during the twenty-plus years she lived at Fair Meadows Village Apartments after her husband, John, passed away. As members of her family and close friends appreciated, she had a great sense of humor. She loved to perform practical jokes, always gentle ones.

Amelia taught her children, grandchildren, and others who knew her well, many things, not the least of these is the importance of perseverance. During almost ninety years of life, Amelia experienced many good times and many setbacks. When a setback struck Amelia, she never let it keep her down. She shook it off, took a deep breath and kept putting one foot in front of the other: an invaluable example for those she left behind.

Amelia was preceded in death by her husband, John; and her parents, Frank and Gaetano Filippelli. She is survived by her children, Jim (Lynda) Giudicessi of Albuquerque, NM, John (Ellen) Giudicessi of Minneapolis, MN, Rose Hufford of Urbandale, IA and Joe (Carol) Giudicessi of Des Moines, IA; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Friday, March 16, 2018 from 5 to 8 p.m. with a time of sharing at 7:30 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines and Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, March 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 1627 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines with burial at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines.

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