by Dennis Augustine
Today, November 2, we lovingly celebrate our beautiful mother, Maria Micalizzi Augustine (1924–2013), born in the seaside village of Roccalumera, Messina, Sicily, overlooking the sparkling Ionian Sea.
Mom grew up poor, the daughter of a Sicilian fisherman. Though her family had little materially, they were rich in faith, love, and tradition. A devout Catholic, she carried those values to America when she immigrated in 1947.
As the eldest of her four children, I feel blessed to have experienced my Sicilian heritage firsthand. My first voyage aboard the Saturnia in August 1953, at just three years old, began a lifelong connection to Mom’s homeland.
I treasure memories of Roccalumera’s beautiful beach, my grandfather’s fishing boats, and our warmhearted Sicilian relatives. Return visits to Sicily and the breathtaking Amalfi Coast have only deepened that connection.
Loving, nurturing, deeply faithful, and blessed with a wonderful sense of humor, Mom taught us that life’s greatest riches are family, kindness, faith, and love.
Although she left us on Mother’s Day in 2013, her love, laughter, and Sicilian spirit live on through generations of our family.
Buon Compleanno in Paradiso, Mamma!
Ti voglio bene per sempre!
Forever loved, forever remembered.
