Maria-Pia Antonelli

The following is the eulogy given by Valerie Stark at Maria-Pia's funeral Mass

There are so many words to describe Maria Pia, our beloved friend.

Energizer Bunny, woman of faith, tree planted by rivers of water, her own beautiful person, proper and dignified, one who lived in and embraced each moment, a woman never defined by age, and the life spark of any gathering .

She lived a life of devotion to her communities, the Italian-American community of Boston, her place of work and so much devotion: Perkins School for the Blind, her beloved Church and local St Ignatius of Loyola parish, and the Boston Alumni Chapter of the music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, where I had the pleasure of getting to know her.

Born in Chicago, but raised in Boston, she attended her first opera as a babe-in-arms when her mother and father brought her to an outdoor performance in Chicago, which was the seed of a lifelong love and devotion to music, opera and the great Italian opera composers.

After her graduation from Boston Latin Girls’ School, she took piano studies at Boston University, earning a Bachelor and Master degrees there. This and further studies at Eastman School of Music, Columbia University, and Accademia Musicale Chigiana, in Siena, Italy, prepared her for a lifetime work of teaching piano to visually-impaired students at Perkins School for the Blind, where she was very involved with the music programs as teacher and accompanist, even teaching Braille music reading classes. She treated her students with dignity, strictness, and always with loving humor, expecting the best of them, and exposing them to a lifelong love for classical music well-performed.

As her father was a sought-after tailor of fine men’s suits, she understood the importance of dressing well and treating occasions with the dignity of appropriate dress. Her clothes were well-made, and professional, or elegant, as the situation required, and “dressing casually” became a fun and entertaining challenge for a woman who never wore pants!

Maria knew herself, and responded to changes and technology with her own dignity. Typewriters, answering machines, later emails and other electronic means of communication were noted, ignored, and transcended by her ability to hand-write clear, concise, humorous, erudite documents for meeting minutes, lectures, composer talks, speeches, whatever she needed. She preferred the more “human” ways of communicating in person, or by telephone and personal hand-written notes, which she did frequently and beautifully.

Maria could make anyone feel comfortable, and reached out to new members of our music fraternity with her good humor and curiosity about them, their lives and music. Although she famously NEVER COOKED, she practiced hospitality with generosity, organizing dinners at her favorite restaurant for her friends, or serving goodies from her favorite Italian bakery. All events were meticulously well-planned and executed with love.

Speaking of being generous and meticulous, Maria shared her music with her community generously, and meticulously. Her piano scores were known to be carefully and somewhat famously prepared with extensive fingerings. She was an excellent accompanist and supported many vocalists through the years.

Her involvement in the local music community was so far-reaching, that it is impossible to name or embrace it all. A few things I know are that she was very proud to have been a part of selecting a piano for the stage of her beloved Dante Alighieri Society. She recently donated her own grand piano to the Boston University School of Music. She served on the board of the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra, and was as devoted to the musicians, friends and causes supported by the Boston Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, of which she was recently honored and celebrated as a 70-year member!

There is no one like Maria Pia Antonelli. She was one of a very rare kind. Her faith and qualities are a legacy we not only admire but also aspire to carry on in our lives.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in her name can be made to The Dante Alighieri Society of MA, 41 Hampshire St. Cambridge, MA 02139 

http://www.dantemass.org/support-us

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