Alda Frances Guidetti

LONGMEADOW---Alda F. (Schiavina) Guidetti, 89, long-time resident of West Springfield, MA, died at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home in Longmeadow, MA, on Friday, November 20, 2015 with family by her side. She was predeceased in 2008 by her husband of 61 years, David A. Guidetti, Sr. She is the daughter of the late Aldo and Angelina (Angiolina Carnevale) Schiavina. She was also predeceased by her brother, Elio Schiavina.
Alda’s parents came over separately from Italy as youths. Her family was living on Worthington Street in Springfield, MA when she was born. She grew up in Agawam and West Springfield, graduating from West Springfield high school in 1944 (see high school photo above). The family lived on Maple Street in Agawam and then on Main Street in West Springfield. When on Maple Street in Agawam, Alda lived with her parents, brother, aunt and cousin (Antoinette and Lillian) and her grandfather (Angelo). When Alda married David Guidetti in August of 1947, they lived on the second floor of the home behind 995 Main Street and Alda’s brother and paternal grandparents lived in the triple decker in front. These houses and the store front were owned by the Schiavina family. Alda’s brother, Elio, ran a businesses in the storefront that is part of the property and her father ran Schiavina’s Super Service garage.
After graduating from high school Alda worked at mail sorting located at the Westinghouse building that still stands on Page Boulevard. After marrying, she worked as a waitress most of her life. She worked at the former Merrick Luncheonette in Springfield, which was run by life-long friends Fred and Norma Testori, and then for many years at the Springfield Country Club in West Springfield. She also worked for the former Betty’s Townhouse in Agawam, and finished her secular career at the Strathmore Company in West Springfield which was near where she and her husband lived on Glenview Drive in West Springfield for 41 years.
Alda was a very active, people-loving person. She was the life-of-the party--very outgoing and friendly. She was known to many of her friends and family as ‘Al’. Her high school yearbook stated that she was “Riverside Rollerway’s star pupil—first in line for a Saturday night dance—Glee Club member—grand clothes.” When asked where she saw herself ten years after high school graduation she stated in her yearbook that she saw herself as “proprietor of Schiavina’s Super Service Station”. That never came to be, but, ironically, her son Gary has owned and operated a service station (B&G Auto Service in Springfield) for nearly twenty years and has worked since high school as an auto mechanic (like his maternal grandfather).
Alda was an excellent cook and multiple course meals were a part of her hospitable and generous spirit. While she had to work secularly outside of the home, Alda was at the same time a great homemaker--a hard worker at home. Alda’s children and grandchildren enjoyed getting together as a family to make tortellini, gnocchi, and ravioli pasta, with her overseeing the ‘production lines’.
Alda began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in the mid 1970’s. She was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1980 and was active in the house-to-house ministry and at congregation meetings until her dementia advanced to the point where she no longer could be. She was a member of the Feeding Hills Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 35 years. As she struggled in her late 70’s and into her 80’s with dementia, she would often say how she missed her mom and dad and brother, but she took great comfort in the resurrection hope as promised in the Bible, knowing that she would see them again when God’s Kingdom comes and rules over the earth from the heavens. (John 5:28-29; Job 14:13-15)
Alda will be sadly missed by many but in particular by her family, namely, her sons and their wives, David, Jr. and Rachel of Worcester, Ronald and Tina of Wilbraham, Gary and Mariellen of Feeding Hills. Also, she will be missed as a proud and loving grandmother of Emily, David M. and his wife Yasmin, Alexa, and Mark, and great grandmother of Luna, Zhoe, and Jontae.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the congregation at 326 North Westfield Street, Feeding Hills, MA can be made out to ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ or donations to Leavitt Family Jewish Home, 770 Converse Street, Longmeadow, MA, both of whom showed compassion and care for our mother.