Filomena Elvira Melice

Our beloved mom, Filomena Elvira Melice, from Palm Springs, Florida passed away on May 31st, 2024. A native of Jamestown, NY, she was born on May 24, 1935 to Leonard and Frances Damond Petruccello. She was predeceased by her younger brother, Anthony Petruccello.

She was married in 1955 to Samuel Melice of Jamestown. Her legacy lives on in her 5 children: Annette Whitlock (Weyman) of Tampa, FL, Samuel Melice (Maria) of Palm Beach, FL, Aileen Lamela of Ocala, FL, Leonard Melice (Lorraine) of Jamestown, NY, and Amy Boyle (Kevin) of Lantana, FL.

She was adored by her grandchildren, Matthew, Lindsey (Anthony), Nicole, Courtney, John, Tomasina, Samantha, and Chelsea. She was most recently blessed with the birth of her 6th great-grandchild.

Her years in Jamestown were filled with child rearing, working, and caring for her widowed mother and grandmother. When the Petruccello cousins would visit, there were 9 children around the dinner table. Our lives revolved around family, food, and fun. You never had a conversation with mom that did not involve the buying, preparation, or eating of food.

Mom made a pioneering move to Florida in 1972, with 5 children and a grandmother. She owned a motel and later several restaurants, including the 10th Avenue Café which she ran with 3 of her children. Her love language was food and hospitality, and she was ever the gracious host.

She stayed busy with helping to raise grandchildren and her 1-bedroom condo was often the center for family gatherings, where she could make enough food to feed a small village. Mom never met a stranger and had several aliases over her lifetime. She was Filomena, Phyl, Phyllis, and Felicia to name a few. We knew her as mom, mentor, motivator, confidante, and friend. She believed that “Education begins in the arms of the mother.”

Mom was always a Peacemaker and did not like discord of any nature. Her 11th commandment of “Mind your own business” was a frequent admonishment and she would often say “Do good and forget it, do bad and remember it”. Some of her Italian adages were not for polite company but we have video-tape evidence that they exist.

We never heard the word fear from mom. Even in her own suffering, she always encouraged and supported us in our personal pain and disappointments. She had a phenomenal memory for all the details of our lives, including what each of us was making for dinner every night. On her last night in this world, she was asking what we were going to make for dinner the next day.

She impacted countless lives and was the epitome of intelligence, grace, and resilience. The stories written and told would make the movie of a lifetime. Mom loved history, language, culture, cuisine, music, and books. She was interested in people and their experiences and always had an ear or a hand to lend. She was known to enjoy a glass or two of Johnnie Walker Black and she taught her grandchildren to make collages and cookies and to play poker.

A private visitation was held in Florida, where her family was able to honor her. Her cremains will be interred later in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Jamestown, NY.

Her generosity was evident in the various charities she supported and all the cards and checks she sent to family, friends, and even strangers. To honor her memory, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a favorite charity.