Concetta "Connie" Guagenti

Concetta “Connie” Guagenti, 90, passed away at 11:46 a.m. on January 23, 2024 in her home.

Connie was born on June 14, 1933 in Chicago Heights, IL. to Philip and Jennie (Corso) Pagoria. On April 25, 1954, she married Joseph F. Guagenti, who preceded her in death on October 17, 2011. They were married for 56 wonderful years.

Connie is survived by her children, Marianne (David) Morrisey, Frank (Mindy) Guagenti, and Patricia (Lonny) Kennedy; grandchildren, Joe (Cara) Guagenti, Toni Guagenti, Alexandria (Jon) Kennedy-Garcia, Nicholas Kennedy, Madison Kennedy, bonus grandchildren, Jennifer (Travis) Bodine, Cody Schoonover, Cory Schoonover and great-grandchildren, Roman Guagenti-Fink, Etta Guagenti, Frankie Guagenti, Charlie Guagenti and bonus great-grandchildren, Jordan Bodine and Trevor Bodine. Connie has surviving brothers, Nick Pagoria and Joe (Juli) Pagoria and sister-in-law, Carolyn Guagenti. She has many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.

Along with her husband, Joe, parents, Phil and Jennie Pagoria, and parents-in-law, Frank and Virginia Guagenti, she was preceded in death by her son, Phil Guagenti, sisters-in-law, Pat Pagoria and Gena Mongelluzzo and brothers-in-law, Donnie Guagenti and John Mongelluzzo.

In her teen and very young adult years, she worked for her father’s trucking company, Pagoria Express, in Illinois. By the time she was 21 years old she had met and married the love of her life and moved to Lima. Connie was a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. In her children’s lives, she was the ‘young mom’ in the neighborhood, often rounding up the neighborhood kids in her Studebaker for a short drive to the Dairy King for ice cream. In the fall, she had the best Halloween party on the block. She didn’t care that her yard was torn up by first, second, third bases and home plate, marked by evergreens, shrubs and trees in the spring and summertime. Christmas Eve was always magical, as she and her sisters-in-law would rotate having the big, wonderful, Italian, Christmas celebration annually. She endlessly supported her children’s athletic, academic, and professional endeavors throughout her life.

Once grandchildren arrived, they became the center of her universe and remained there until the day she died. Great grandchildren only added to the brightness of that universe. Great granddaughter, Etta is named after her great grandmother, an unexpected star in that universe.

Connie personified the term ‘devoted wife’. She supported her husband, Joe throughout his many years of long work weeks and long work hours. She helped him in his business at various times in her life, but was always the one running the business at home, with four active children, while he was at work. Connie and Joe traveled to the 4 corners of the United States and beyond, but it was the Smokey Mountains that they visited most often, as it was Joe’s heaven on earth. During the last several years of his life, Connie rarely left his side. She learned multiple medical procedures that were performed multiple times a day, that allowed him to stay at home and undoubtedly extended his life by years.

Although she wasn’t out and about too much in her later years, she cherished and valued everyone with whom she came in contact. Her face would light up with a smile and she could recollect memories of everyone from her children’s lives and her husband’s business. If she met you, she cared about you and loved you. One of her most endearing qualities was that she was always interested in and accepting of anyone she met. She was always a champion of the underdog. She may have invented the ‘no judgement zone’.

Connie was a charter member of Ciao/Unico, a long-time member of Shawnee Country Club, a long-time member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and a lifetime member of St. Rita’s Auxiliary.

Connie’s family will receive friends at Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home, 920 North Cable Road, Lima, Ohio, on Sunday, January 28, 2024 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm, where a wake prayer service will begin at 6:00pm. Visitation will take place the following morning from 10:00am to 11:00am, followed by a Mass of the Christian Burial at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 2200 West Elm Street, Lima, Ohio 45805 on Monday, January 29, 2024. Interment will follow at Gethsemani Cemetery, Lima, Ohio.

On lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church or Lima Central Catholic Educational Foundation.