The AATI mourns the loss of Dr. Luisetta Chomel, Professor Emeritus of Italian at the University of Houston. Luisetta Chomel, age 84, passed away on Friday, the 20th of May 2016, at her home in Houston, in the company of her family and friends. She was born on the 26th of May 1931, in Torino, Italy, to Erberto and Severa Manacorda Elia.

Luisetta received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. Thomas, and her Masters in French and Doctorate in philosophy from Rice University. In 1972, she joined the faculty at the University of Houston as an Instructor of Italian. For over thirty years and as the Director of Italian Studies, Luisetta expanded the program of Italian studies to obtain a major in Italian and to incorporate architecture, Italian civilization and cinema into the curriculum. She was respected by her colleagues and loved by her students, and those who excelled were sent to study Italian in Perugia or Florence on summer scholarships.

Luisetta was knighted in the order of the Star of Italian Solidarity of the Italian Republic in 1990. Nominated three times for the Master Teacher Award, she received it in 1994. Luisetta retired as Professor Emeritus and continued working within the Italian community to disseminate Italian culture everywhere. She authored two books, one on the subject of women in the literature of D'Annunzio, and another (co-authored with Paola Lorenzi) on Italian civilization and culture.

Luisetta is survived by her husband, Dominique Chomel; her daughter, Patricia Chomel and her husband, Maurizio Rota, and their son, Lorenzo Rota, her son Marc Chomel; her niece, Albertina Napoli and her husband Mario, and their children; as well as extended family on her husband's side.

A memorial service is to be conducted at twelve o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday, the 28th of May, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to a scholarship fund that has been established in her honor at the University of Houston. Please visit https://giving.uh.edu/class, select Modern & Classical Languages from the drop down menu and enter "Chomel Scholarship" in the special instructions box.