Francesca Arquilla, nee Agostinelli, 88, of Hinsdale and Naples, Fla., passed away peacefully Aug. 8, 2024, surrounded her family.
Francesca was born in Pacentro, Italy, in 1936 to Paolo and Bambina Agostinelli. She immigrated to the United States in 1956 and first settled in the U.S. with her family in Coraopolis, Penn. She married Primo Arquilla, who would become her beloved husband of 50 years, in Caracas, Venezuela, in December 1958. Francesca and Primo initially lived in Coraopolis, Penn. and then Denver before settling in Chicago where they raised their two sons.
Francesca (at the age of 7) and her family survived the Sfollamento (homelessness) which impacted her village of Pacentro starting on November 11, 1943. The Nazi military took over several strategically positioned villages, including Pacentro, and removed all of the residents from their homes in the middle of winter season. Francesca remembered and spoke of the Sfollamento for most of her life.
Francesca went to work for a toy company in Pittsburgh almost immediately after arriving in the USA in 1956. Over the following 44 years, she worked in a variety of industries including manufacturing, retail, education, healthcare and senior living. She valued a strong work ethic as well as building strong relationships and along with her husband Primo, she passed on these values to their sons. Francesca made friends easily and she nurtured numerous long term friendships.
Francesca was very proud of her Italian heritage and she was also very proud to be an American, often uttering the phrase, "God Bless America!" She was a great cook of both native Italian dishes that she learned to make from her mother as well as the American dishes she learned here.
Francesca was a longtime member of the Raiano Women's Club as well as the Younger Than Ever Seniors Club of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Darien, where she lived for 42 years.
She was a long time parishioner of Our Lady of Peace and most recently was a parishioner of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Hinsdale as well as St. John the Evangelist in Naples.
Francesca enjoyed reading, crochet, going to church and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. She prayed the Holy Rosary every day and she had an encyclopedic memory.
Francesca is survived by her sons, Dr. Paul (Danielle) Arquilla and Venanzio (Shannon) Arquilla of Hinsdale; her four grandchildren, Isabella, Primo, Giorgio and Paul Luciano Arquilla; her siblings, Lina (the late Rocco) Zavatti and Donato (Tonina) Agostinelli; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Primo; and her sister, Elia Maria (the late Giovanni) Ramunno.
Visitation is from 3 to 8 p.m. today, Aug. 15, at Sullivan Funeral Home, 60 S. Grant St., Hinsdale.
Family and friends will meet for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass Friday, Aug. 16, at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 306 W. Fourth St., Hinsdale.
Entombment is at Queen of Heaven, Christ the King Mausoleum in Hillside.
In lieu of flowers, memorials maybe be made online to the Hinsdale Hospital Foundation at http://www.uchicagomedicineadventhealth.org/foundations/hinsdale-hospital-foundation-donation-form.
