printable versionAnnamaria Napolitano, longtime lecturer in Italian, dies at 68
BY MICHAEL PEÑA
Annamaria Napolitano first came to campus in 1969 to teach in the Department of French and Italian.
Annamaria de Nicolais Napolitano, a senior lecturer in the Department of French and Italian who was known for her impassioned lessons on her native language, cultural history and cooking over the past three decades—and whose early efforts led to the opening of La Casa Italiana—died on Feb. 13, just two days before her 69th birthday.
When Napolitano was diagnosed with liver cancer in July 2004, she was given only six months to live. However, the native of Naples continued to teach until her retirement in late 2005. Over the years, she also taught sophomore seminars and Continuing Studies courses on various aspects of Italian culture, according to Robert Harrison, the Rosina Pierotti Professor of Italian Literature and chair of the Department of French and Italian.
A memorial service for Napolitano will be held in Memorial Church on Thursday, March 9, at 3 p.m. A reception at the Faculty Club will follow at 4:30 p.m.
"I knew Annamaria for 41 years, and she was my best friend and also the sister I never had," said Maria Devine, also a senior lecturer in the Department of French and Italian. "She was a true Italian, in the sense that she loved her country."
Napolitano first came to Stanford in 1969 to teach in the Department of French and Italian. She eventually became a senior lecturer and directed its Italian Language Program, as well becoming director of the Language Center. She was involved with the Overseas Studies Program in Florence, and throughout her career, she kept strong ties with students and alumni.
Devine said she has received many calls and e-mails from colleagues and former students, including from one who expressed how difficult it was to imagine life at Stanford without Napolitano. Included among the many students Napolitano taught, according to Devine, is former Hewlett-Packard Co. chief executive Carly Fiorina.
When La Casa Italiana first opened in 1976, Napolitano served as the undergraduate dorm's founding resident fellow. The Mayfield Avenue theme house nurtures an appreciation for Italian language and culture through courses, seminars, authentic cuisine and partnerships with local organizations such as the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco.
Napolitano also founded several Italian language and cultural institutions in the Bay Area, including the Istituto Educazione Italiana (IEI), located on the Menlo College campus in Atherton. Her second husband, Mario Fusco, also helped found the institute and currently chairs its board of directors. The couple also volunteered in the San Francisco branch of COMITES, a nonprofit institution that helps Italian citizens living abroad.
Napolitano had published a collection of poems in English and Italian, including To Know the Desert, which appeared in an anthology titled Sextet One. She also debuted another book of poems last year, Of Deserts and Rivers. And together, Napolitano and Devine—who also was born and educated in Milan—wrote Manuale di Grammatica Italiana, a textbook used in universities worldwide.
Napolitano, born in 1937 to an antiques dealer and a housewife, earned a master's degree in American literature from the Istituto Orientale in Naples. She first came to the United States in the 1960s with her first husband, engineer Pietro Napolitano. They were married for almost 30 years before he died of emphysema in 1988.
Being by his side during his lengthy suffering taught Napolitano not to let her own illness dampen her zest for life, Devine said. She continued to come to the campus even after she retired, and just a few days before her death, she enjoyed a nice sit-down dinner with her husband, Devine said.
Napolitano also loved to sing and dance when she was younger, according to Devine. When the two friends used to get together after work, Devine recalled, Napolitano's irrepressible passion for her first language would sometimes make for an awkward moment: "She would start teaching Italian at the bar," Devine said, "and I would cover my face and say, 'Would you stop?'"
Napolitano and Fusco, who also teaches Italian, first met about 12 years ago. They had been married for about seven months and lived near Woodside. In addition to Fusco, Napolitano is survived by a brother, Mario de Nicolais of Naples, and two nieces.
The IEI has established a scholarship fund in Napolitano's name for students who wish continue their Italian studies. Donations may be sent to the Annamaria Napolitano Scholarship Fund, Italian Educational Institute, Menlo College, Russell Center, 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA 94027.