Maria Giuseppina (Scaiola) Swenson

Maria Giuseppina Scaiola Swenson, affectionately known as “Pina,” passed away peacefully at her home on April 3, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

Pina was born in Rome, Italy on May 29, 1937, the first daughter and second child of Silvio Scaiola and Teresa Renzi. When Pina was quite young, she left Italy with her parents and older brother to spend many years in Shanghai, China. Among her earliest memories included her family’s incarceration in a Japanese internment camp until the end of the second world war. After the war, her family returned to Italy where Pina excelled as a student and academic. She received advanced degrees from the University of Rome, the University of Edinburgh, and Cornell University. While obtaining her doctorate in linguistics at Cornell she met the love of her life Edward, her husband of almost 57 years. As they started a family, they moved to Trumansburg, NY in 1971. Pina was a wonderful mother who dedicated many years of her life to raising her three children in their beautiful brick house on Congress Street.

Pina was an exceptionally gifted instructor who taught English language classes to Italian students while still residing in Italy. In 1982 Pina joined the Department of Romance Studies at Cornell University where she taught Italian language and literature for 26 years until her retirement in 2008. During her tenure at Cornell, Pina earned the Clarke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Her teaching and dedication to her students made an impact on thousands of Cornellians.

In her retirement years, Pina enjoyed traveling, cooking, gardening, reading British detective novels, and spending time with her grandchildren. Pina was predeceased by her parents, an infant daughter Chiara Sylvia Swenson, and infant grandsons Joseph Reuben Swenson and Leo David Swenson. She is survived by her loving husband, Edward Elmgren Swenson; her children, Erica Swenson Danowitz (Michael), Edward Reuben Swenson (Connie), and Maria Teresa Swenson (Adam); grandchildren Andrew Ryan Danowitz, Anna Claire Danowitz, Ellie Josephine Swenson, and Revio True Smith; her siblings, Gianni Scaiola (Patrizia), Silvano Scaiola, and Anna Maria Scaiola (Maurizio Paci) of Rome Italy; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The family would like to send a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Michelle Blegen and the staff of Trumansburg Family Medicine. As Pina’s physician (and former student), Dr. Blegen provided constant support and excellent care for over two decades.

A Celebration of Life is planned for a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Pina’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research https://www.michaeljfox.org/