Ophelia Cuoio

Ophelia Cuoio, a bright, beautiful, and loving light in our world, passed away peacefully, with her children at her side, at home in Pocatello on September 28, 2016. Her life was one of irrepressible optimism, grace, and love that touched and lifted all who had the good fortune and pleasure of being in her presence. Born April 30, 1926 in Saginaw, Michigan, she was the fifth of John Frederick and Clara Marie Schemms six children. Her mother died when Ophelia was six years old, and when her father remarried four years later, the family moved to a farm near Albion, Michigan. She was educated in a rural one-room schoolhouse and later, in 1944, graduated from Albions Washington Gardner High School. During high school much like the iconic Rosie the Riveter she welded bomb heads in a local factory in support of the nations war effort. Upon graduation, she boarded a train in Chicago and made the three day journey to begin a new life with her beloved sister, Hildegarde, in California. After a short stint making wigs for Max Factor, she became a teller for the Bank of America in Hollywood. It was there she met Bert Cuoio, her future husband, a Pocatello native, and the love of her life. They were married in February, 1947 and moved permanently to Pocatello in the summer of 1948. In her 68 years as a Pocatello resident, she nurtured her family and filled her home with love, music, laughter, and inspiration amid the ever-present aromas of home-baked breads and memorable meals. No one could enter Ophelias home without a gracious welcome, nor could they leave hungry. She often remarked how much she enjoyed keeping house, something self-evident to anyone who entered her immaculate home. Ophelia found great joy in the piano, which she played by ear. She also enjoyed reading, puzzles, and card games of all sorts, most notably pinochle with her friends and peers at the local senior center. Ophelia also found purpose in community service, working at local voting polls through many election cycles. Her home and welcoming arms were a constant refuge to her four children, twelve grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. She will be missed beyond expressible measure, but the glow that was her spirit will live as a constant and cherished beacon in our hearts and memories. She is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, and all five of her siblings. She is survived by her four children, Lisa Mabe, of Pocatello, Michael Cuoio and his wife Mary, of Santa Rosa, California, Greg Cuoio and his wife Ann, of Olympia, Washington, and John Cuoio and his wife Suzanne, of Pocatello. Ophelia will be laid to rest in Mountain View Cemetery in a private family service. The family requests donations to a favorite charity in lieu of flowers.