Filomena Ponsi
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Filomena Ponsi, 98, of Dumfries, VA passed away on August 12, 2021.
She was born in Manhattan, NY to Luigi and Anna LaBianca on January 2, 1923. She was 1 of 4 children who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and was the first woman to receive a scholarship to the prestigious Art Students League of New York. WWII brought her into the defense contract industry, in which she flourished as an Industrial Artist. During her 25 years in the industry, her artist renderings, designs, and creative work was shown on the covers of industry magazines, displayed in the Wall Street Journal and used by such entities as NASA. After WWII, Filomena married her love, Naldo Ponsi, on August 18, 1946. Together, Filomena and Naldo, avid boaters, spent over 25 years boating around the waters of Long Island as active members of The United States Power Squadron, Captree division. Filomena, a life-long artist, exercised her talents over the years by volunteering to design beautiful banners for her church, murals in the schools of her family members, and many other creative outlets within the communities where she lived. In addition to her painting and artwork, she was an avid bridge player and reader, and supported her community Red Hats Society. Above all things, family came first. She was a strong matriarch and guiding force to many.
Filomena is preceded in death by her husband Naldo, sister Madeline Giugliano and brother Michael LaBianca.
Filomena is survived by her only child, daughter, Linda Kahn and her husband Robert, 3 Grandchildren and their families, Claudia and Gerald, Marisa and Tom, Christian and Heather, and 3 Great-Grandchildren Kayla, Alexander, and Riley, one sister and loving nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the American Diabetes Association in Filomena's honor are appreciated as these are two organizations dear to her.
Visitation is Tuesday, August 24, 2021 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Mountcastle Turch Funeral Home on Dale Blvd. in Woodbridge, VA.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at 11:00 am at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Triangle, VA with a 12:30 burial at Quantico National Cemetery to follow.