Maria G. Wilmeth
June 15, 1924 ~ December 18, 2013
Dr. Maria Guarrera Wilmeth, Ph.D
On Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at the Golden Living Rehabilitation Center Sleepy Hollow Manor of Annandale, VA. She was the loving mother of Eric Wilmeth and his wife Karen Hurst, Deborah W. Campos, and Michelle W. Hansen; doting grandmother of Maria Sulema Campos, Christopher and Jessica Hansen; and great-grandmother of Giolene M. Campos and Lukas Hansen-Suaza. She was survived by two loving sisters Velia G. Zanninelli of Rome, Italy and Leda G. Ciccarelli of Lawrence, MA.
She was born in 1924 in Nicosia, Sicily and raised and educated in Caserta, Italy where she met her beloved husband, LTC Elwood E. Wilmeth, during WW II. Inspired by her father, Prof. Vincenzo Guarrera, she entered into the world of education with a passion and dedication that would ultimately define her illustrious career. While living in Paris, France, she received her doctorates from the Universite' de Sorbonne and the University of Naples, Italy. Upon her return to the United States, she noted the lack of Italian language courses at the secondary and university levels and became the Head of the Italian Department at George Washington University. She obtained her third doctorate in Linguistics from Georgetown University. She transferred to Fairfax County Public Schools, and dedicated herself to the introduction of foreign languages to younger children. As the Foreign Language Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, she was instrumental in the introduction of the "Immersion Program", providing foreign language instruction to children in grades K-6.
Upon retirement from Fairfax County Public Schools, she became Program Manager of Foreign Languages & ESL at the USDA Graduate School in Washington, D.C. She also established and became the founding Director of the Italian Language Program of the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C.
Dr. Wilmeth envisioned the Italian Language Program as an organization that would provide an educational service to the Italian community in collaboration with the Education Office of the Embassy of Italy, and would serve as a welcoming venue for Americans wishing to learn the Italian language and culture in the Washington Metropolitan area. She established a role for the Italian Cultural Society as an "Ente Gestore" to manage Italian Embassy efforts in placing teachers of Italian in local schools and educating children of Italians planning to return to Italy. In collaboration with Prof. Roberto Severino of the Georgetown University Italian Department and others, she initiated a very successful program with funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities to educate teachers from all over the U.S. in a three-week program in Rome entitled: "The Art of Teaching Italian through Italian Art."
Dr. Wilmeth received many honors for her work within the U.S., France, Italy, and Japan. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs honored her as "Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della solidarieta' italiana;" the Italian Government honored her with the "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Repubblica Italiana;" the French Government with the "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques;" and the Florence Steiner Award: Leadership in Foreign Language Secondary Education from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
She was loved and admired by her family, friends, and colleagues and inspired all of our lives in the most positive ways possible. She was unique and we were blessed to have known her. Maria, you will be sorely missed.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the "Maria G. Wilmeth Scholarship" through the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C. in order that her legacy continue.
http://www.italianculturalsociety.org/donate/
Contributions can be made on line with a credit card or checks can be forwarded to:
Donations
Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C.
4827 Rugby Ave., - Suite 301
Bethesda, MD 20814
Please make reference to: Maria G. Wilmeth Scholarship
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Visitation:
Money and King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
On Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at the Golden Living Rehabilitation Center Sleepy Hollow Manor of Annandale, VA. She was the loving mother of Eric Wilmeth and his wife Karen Hurst, Deborah W. Campos, and Michelle W. Hansen; doting grandmother of Maria Sulema Campos, Christopher and Jessica Hansen; and great-grandmother of Giolene M. Campos and Lukas Hansen-Suaza. She was survived by two loving sisters Velia G. Zanninelli of Rome, Italy and Leda G. Ciccarelli of Lawrence, MA.
She was born in 1924 in Nicosia, Sicily and raised and educated in Caserta, Italy where she met her beloved husband, LTC Elwood E. Wilmeth, during WW II. Inspired by her father, Prof. Vincenzo Guarrera, she entered into the world of education with a passion and dedication that would ultimately define her illustrious career. While living in Paris, France, she received her doctorates from the Universite' de Sorbonne and the University of Naples, Italy. Upon her return to the United States, she noted the lack of Italian language courses at the secondary and university levels and became the Head of the Italian Department at George Washington University. She obtained her third doctorate in Linguistics from Georgetown University. She transferred to Fairfax County Public Schools, and dedicated herself to the introduction of foreign languages to younger children. As the Foreign Language Coordinator for Fairfax County Public Schools, she was instrumental in the introduction of the "Immersion Program", providing foreign language instruction to children in grades K-6.
Upon retirement from Fairfax County Public Schools, she became Program Manager of Foreign Languages & ESL at the USDA Graduate School in Washington, D.C. She also established and became the founding Director of the Italian Language Program of the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C.
Dr. Wilmeth envisioned the Italian Language Program as an organization that would provide an educational service to the Italian community in collaboration with the Education Office of the Embassy of Italy, and would serve as a welcoming venue for Americans wishing to learn the Italian language and culture in the Washington Metropolitan area. She established a role for the Italian Cultural Society as an "Ente Gestore" to manage Italian Embassy efforts in placing teachers of Italian in local schools and educating children of Italians planning to return to Italy. In collaboration with Prof. Roberto Severino of the Georgetown University Italian Department and others, she initiated a very successful program with funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities to educate teachers from all over the U.S. in a three-week program in Rome entitled: "The Art of Teaching Italian through Italian Art."
Dr. Wilmeth received many honors for her work within the U.S., France, Italy, and Japan. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs honored her as "Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della solidarieta' italiana;" the Italian Government honored her with the "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Repubblica Italiana;" the French Government with the "Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques;" and the Florence Steiner Award: Leadership in Foreign Language Secondary Education from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
She was loved and admired by her family, friends, and colleagues and inspired all of our lives in the most positive ways possible. She was unique and we were blessed to have known her. Maria, you will be sorely missed.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the "Maria G. Wilmeth Scholarship" through the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C. in order that her legacy continue.
http://www.italianculturalsociety.org/donate/
Contributions can be made on line with a credit card or checks can be forwarded to:
Donations
Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C.
4827 Rugby Ave., - Suite 301
Bethesda, MD 20814
Please make reference to: Maria G. Wilmeth Scholarship
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Visitation:
Money and King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
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Deborah and Michelle, So sorry to hear about your mom. I will sure miss her. She was always so sweet to me in Dr Klein’s office.Always smiling at me.Please take care. Nancy
Dear Eric, Deborah and Michelle– I am so sad to think that Maria is gone but so heartened by all the great memories I have of working with her for many years in Fairfax County Public Schools and then even after that at the Graduate School of the Department of Agriculture and with all the efforts to promote Italian language with the Embassy of Italy. She was such a galvanizing force in our language profession and truly central to many of the initiatives that we are implementing today. She was a wonderful mentor to me and to many of my colleagues and I will miss her knowledge, wisdom, and great sense of humor!
My deepest condolences for the loss of your mother and my very good friend for many years. We’ll miss her hard work in the Italian community.
On behalf of myself and my entire family we express our most heartfelt condolences to Eric, Deborah and Michelle and their respective families. I knew Maria well and have fond memories of her highly capable leadership in the Italian and Italian-American communities. She was a great asset and will be missed. In her professional and personal life, she served many causes and helped many people very well and was a caring and affable woman of many accomplishments! She will rest in peace knowing that many of us miss her and will remember her in our thoughts and in our prayers!
Michelle and family, when I heard the news I was overcome by the fond memories I have of being at the Wilmeth home on Lewinsville dr. It was a sanctuary and second home for me. Mama Maria and Nona always took me in like a family member and fed me well. Thank you and love to you all. Lyn
I just heard the news today. It saddened me deeply. As a resource teacher in ESL, I worked closely with Maria on an ESL/Foreign Language grant. As part of that, we traveled to Iowa for a conference on using technology. What fun! Maria was always looking forward, always promoted the value of another language, and did both in a professional and personable way. I have nothing but the deepest respect for her. And her going back for a second PhD…that one showed her true dedication to learning.
Dear Deborah and Sulema- So sorry for your loss!