After falling in love with an American soldier stationed in Italy during World War II, Teresa Herr moved to the United States in 1945. She adjusted to life in a new country, worked as a beautician and raised her four daughters. Almost 70 years later, as a resident of Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, Teresa has made an unlikely Italian connection.
About two years ago, when Teresa began experiencing signs of dementia, her family knew Masonic Village was the best place to address her needs. Easing Teresa’s adjustment into her new home is a former friend who shares her affinity for the Italian language – and the country’s pastries – Greg Pugliese, a security officer at Masonic Village.
Greg’s grandparents were Italian immigrants, and growing up, he often heard Italian spoken among his family. A nod to his heritage, he opened an Italian bakery in Lancaster. Teresa and her husband, Roy, frequently ordered cookies and cakes from the bakery, including a cake for their 50th wedding anniversary. The last time Greg spoke with Teresa was in 2000.
Greg began working at Masonic Village two years ago, and when he learned Teresa was a resident, he decided to see if she remembered him. She immediately recognized him, and he pays her regular visits. The two transition between Italian and English while discussing her hometown and family life during the war, and Teresa shares pictures of her family.
“My visits with Teresa are pleasant, and I enjoy when we speak about Italy and her stories from the past,” Greg said. “I enjoy our conversations and look forward to many more!
“Teresa does remind me, as do the other wonderful residents here at Masonic Village, of my parents’ and grandparents’ generation and extended family. The residents share a wealth of history, and I enjoy and appreciate their insight. ”
“Greg, while not in direct patient care, has gone above and beyond his duties to help her cope … .,” Douglas Zima, Teresa’s son-in-law, wrote in a thank you letter to Greg’s supervisor. “My family and I appreciate his doing this and contributing to her sense of belonging in the act of visiting her and for those memories, taking her back to what is for her a long lost time.”
An unexpected reunion and a unique connection are making Teresa feel even more at home – a word that is the same in Italian and English – at Masonic Village.
