Resident of San Jose

Hedwige, known to all her friends and family as Eddy, passed away peacefully with her nephew and niece by her side. In her 103 years she touched many lives with generosity, love and laughter.

Eddy was born in Constantinople before the birth of the Turkish Republic to French and English parents and was raised in the multicultural foreign enclave of the old city.

Eddy attended an Austrian all girls Catholic school were she met many lifelong friends and learned to speak seven languages. Her summers were spent on the Princess Islands in the Sea of Marmara.

As a big city girl, Eddy was capable, independent and confident. She worked as a Contracts Administrator and as an Executive Secretary before retiring at 55. She travelled often, enjoyed swimming and yoga and had a wide circle of friends and an active social life. After retirement, and numerous visits to her sister in the US, she applied for and received aGreen Card. At age 74 she became a proud US citizen. Eddy was a superb cook of Turkish and Greek cuisine and greatly enjoyed feeding her family and friends. She was also a talented and creative seamstress, embroiderer and knitter. She gifted beautiful and intricate needlepoint works to friends as well as donating countless sweaters, gloves, blankets and caps to the homeless.

Eddy is survived by her nephew and niece Michael and Dorothy Schumacher. She was preceded by her sister Georgette Yolande Schumacher, father Emil Lessandrini and mother Mari Lessandrini (nee Schembri).

A Catholic Rite of Committal was held at Los Gatos Memorial Park with close family and friends attending.

Eddy was interred alongside her Brother-In-Law Leo Schumacher and her beloved sister Yolande. A Mass will be read in her name Sunday May 25th at St Francis Cabrini Catholic Church in San Jose.