Anna Caflisch

Anna Biasizzo Caflisch was born in Cordoba, Argentina, on April 8, 1932, the only daughter of Manlio Biasizzo and Aurora Antoniutti Biasizzo. Anna passed away peacefully on August 24, 2024, in Houston, Texas, at the age of ninety-two.

Anna lived a long, full and eventful life. She moved from Argentina back to Italy with her parents as a young child, just in time for the beginning of World War II. Tragically, her family home in Nimis, in northeastern Italy, was bombed by the Nazis, and her older brother, Brandino Biasizzo, was executed by Italian partisans on May 2, 1945, in the last days of the war in Europe. She graduated high school from the Liceo Classico Jacopo Stellini in Udine and then moved to Milan to attend the Universita' del Sacro Cuore. In what must have been a very busy year, she was awarded a Doctorate in Literature on June 28, and married Luigi Caflisch, her high school sweetheart, on July 26, 1958. They soon embarked on a journey which included travels throughout three continents and residences in Palermo, Novara, Pescara, Roma, Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Pittsburgh (PA) and finally, in 1976, Houston. Between her upbringing, her study of Latin and ancient Greek, and her travels, Anna learned Friulano, Spanish, Italian, French, English and Portuguese. She spoke these with varying degrees of success throughout her life; and her occasional malapropisms were but another of her many endearing traits.

Anna's formal education proved useful later in her life when she became single. She supported herself by teaching Italian language courses, starting in 1980 as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Houston, and then, starting in 1983, in the same role at Rice University. She was an active member of the Italy In America Association and a long-time volunteer at the Italian Cultural & Community Center and the Houston Italian Festival. She was a member of the IIAA, Donne di Domani and University of Houston Ugo di Portanova Endowed Scholarship selection committees. In her spare time, she provided free transportation and translation assistance to Italian patients at the Houston Medical Center.

In 1997, Anna was a recipient of the Light D' Albergo Bailey Award from the Italy in America Association for her work in the Italian community. In 2002, Anna retired from Rice University as a full time Senior Lecturer and a perennial favorite teacher. In 2007, she was inducted as a Cavaliere dell' Ordine della Stella della Solidarieta' Italiana, by decree of the President of the Republic of Italy, in recognition of her promotion of Italian language, culture and people.

Born into a devout Catholic family, while in Houston Anna was an active parishioner at St. Cecilia Catholic Church and then St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, not to mention an ardent follower of the Sunday Mass and spaghetti lunch at the ICCC.

Anna is survived by her former spouse, Luigi Caflisch, and his wife Suzanne, son Giorgio Caflisch, and his spouse Jill Schaar, and her beloved grandson Carlo Caflisch. She is also survived by countless friends, students and people whose lives she touched with her smile and joy for life. In addition to her family, teaching and faith, her many passions included classical music, opera, blues, jazz, art, history, cooking and eating. Notwithstanding her voracious appetite, she lived most of her life in great physical health and was a testament to the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

A memorial in celebration of Anna's life will be held at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, at 4525 Bissonnet Street, on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of customary remembrances or flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Italian Cultural & Community Center, 1101 Milford St., Houston, TX 77006.