Mildred Rose Romanazzi

Born to Bryan L. and Rondamay Honley, Mildred Rose Honley began her exceptional life on April 16, 1931 in Visalia, California. Growing up during the Great Depression provided scant material riches but showered her with close family values and immense gratitude for the love given her by her mother, father, and siblings. She always cherished the times shared with her extended family and friends. Growing up, Mildred had a voracious appetite for reading, often completing several books in a single day. She was an excellent student and became a fan of theater and acting. She was so proud of her performance at the acclaimed Pasadena Playhouse that she would retell the story of how they just missed winning the competition because one of the cast broke character and laughed at his own line. She wrote a play in high school (which her family read aloud to her while she was in hospice care), which was a great little comedy of family life. The hope is for it to be performed at her celebration of life. She met and married Jack Patterson and had her first two sons, Dana Jack and Bryan Franklin in the early 50s. And after a few years she became a single mother raising Dana and Bryan while becoming the first of her family to earn a college degree. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Education from Fresno State University. She took her first job teaching 60 6th graders at Union School without an aid and for half the salary of the male teachers. She met and married Louie Romanazzi and the two of them embarked on a long life of projects together. Mildred always had the visions and Louie had the skills and ability to make them happen. Projects like building a garage, a playhouse, developing an entire ranch, remodeling a vacation home, developing rental real estate, and operating childcare businesses were accomplished via this dynamic duo, all of them born of Mildred's ideas and Louie's willing and capable efforts. Mildred was hands-on with the projects too, but never let it slow her down keeping a home and raising two more children, Gregory Allen and Ronda Ann. Her family was complete. Sadly, the loss of her oldest son, Dana, bore her a grief which never left. She once advised another grieving mother that the pain never goes away but does become a little more bearable. Mildred couldn't resist helping out when she saw a need. She always had good things to say and seldom said anything bad about anyone or anything. The song, "Accentuate the Positive" (and minimize the negative) became a life lesson she handed down to her children and students. Songs like "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and "Climb Every Mountain" were not just favorites of hers but expressed her ever positive and optimistic style. She was involved in many community activities and brought an encouraging effort to any organization she worked with. She spent many years as a member of the Enrico Caruso Sons of Italy Lodge and served on the Visalia Sister City Committee. She was in her element teaching the Tarantella Dance to the members of the Sons of Italy. She always looked on the bright side of life and was an inspiration to us all through the good and bad times. She was a lover of animals, acting, singing, drawing, painting, and sculpture. Whatever she set her mind to do, she would achieve. One of her funniest accomplishments was learning how to drive a school bus before ever driving a car! After passing the bus driving test, the person who passed her was shocked to learn she didn't have a license yet and asked her to rush down and get one prior to her first shift as a school bus driver. How do you squeeze a life such as Mildred's into a few neat paragraphs? She was born during the Great Depression, lived through WWII, the upheavals of the 1960's, the difficult 1970's, and raised four children throughout those challenging times. But most of all, she loved her immediate and extended family and always cherished bringing them all together and as in life, even so in death... She is survived by her husband, Louie Romanazzi and three children: Bryan Patterson, Greg (L'eon) Romanazzi, Ronda (Steven) Cashiola and ten beloved grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son, Dana Patterson. She passed away peacefully from natural causes on February 2, 2023 in Visalia, CA. She is and will be greatly missed. Her family feels the hole her absence has left behind. Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM Monday, February 6th, 2023 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia. Graveside services will be held 10:30 AM Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 at Visalia District Cemetery, 1300 W Goshen Ave, Visalia. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Mildred Rose Romanazzi

April 16, 1931 - February 2, 2023