Guelda Lewis Messina

Guelda Lewis Messina left us the evening of May 21st surrounded by family. She is finally at peace after living with dementia for several years.

Guelda started life in the rural mountains of Oklahoma. She was born in a shack on the family farm on February 21, 1938. Her mother, Elizabeth “Beth” McLain was a single mother, and in her early life, Guelda was raised by Beth and their relatives and lived for a time with her aunt in Howe, Oklahoma. Beth claimed she gave Guelda her unique name in honor of a Choctaw woman she knew.

She moved to Washington State when she was 7 years old and lived in many different neighborhoods in the Tacoma area. Guelda grew up with three brothers, Russ, Dennis, and Greg Lewis who she loved and remained close to her entire life. At 17 she graduated from Lincoln High School, married a Navy man and moved to San Francisco. She gave birth to daughter Dana when she was just 18 years old.

Guelda and Dana eventually moved back to Tacoma, and she started working at American Plywood Association.  In 1963, while she was waiting tables at the New Yorker, she met John Messina and a true love story began. They were married in 1964 and at Guelda’s urging, John enrolled at Gonzaga Law School in Spokane. Their next three children, Maribeth, John Jr., and Megan were all born during the four years they spent in Spokane. Along with raising 3 babies (with Dana’s help) Guelda typed for the Gonzaga Law Review and opened her home to young law school students and John’s nearby relatives.

After law school, the family returned to Tacoma where Guelda became an active school and bleacher mom. She wanted to pursue other interests while her kids were in school, so she started working with friend Joan Best preparing and running estate sales. She brought home many of the estate treasures over the years, adding to her collections and gracing her home with lovely antique furniture. She also enjoyed working at Dahnken’s Jewelry and the Gem Cutter.

Serving her community was a priority for Guelda. She volunteered to teach art to kids at Remann Hall, served as a docent at the Children’s Art Museum and answered calls on the county’s crisis line. She served as President of the Catholic Women’s Club, taught CCD at St. Rita Parish, and was on the board of Catholic Community Services. Together with John, Guelda supported the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy and the family of softball teams they led from 1970 to 1988.

Guelda enjoyed traveling back to Oklahoma to visit her aunts, uncles, and cousins, bringing family and friends to the farm to enjoy a different way of life. She and John discovered the lovely warmth of Scottsdale, Arizona, and bought a second home there. They spent years hosting people and creating memories for everybody. No matter where Guelda laid her head, she welcomed people into her home and easily became friends with neighbors and previous strangers. She loved her home in Tacoma by the Narrows Bridge where she spent 35 years looking out the window at her favorite view.

Guelda traveled with John and others to Italy many years in a row and took trips to South America, Australia, and South Africa, among other foreign destinations. She always came home with bags full of gifts for her loved ones. Guelda maintained lifelong friendships, including her “bridge group” ladies. She was an avid reader and fan of music and movies.

Five grandchildren took up much of her time and she never said No to helping and babysitting. Lily, Giovanna, Mary, Rey, and Vinny spent countless hours with their beloved “Gramma” or “G’ma”. Together, they created family memories and holiday traditions including Christmas cookie baking, Easter egg coloring, and Thanksgiving table prep.

In her later years, Guelda had to slow down but she never lost her sense of humor or welcoming spirit. When visitors said, “It’s nice to see you Guelda,” her frequent response was, “It’s nice to be seen!”

She spent her last days at the Weatherly Inn with John until his passing in January. She celebrated her 86th birthday in February.

Please help us celebrate Guelda’s life by praying the Rosary and sharing stories at 6 pm on Thursday, June 6th at St. Rita of Cascia, 1403 S. Ainsworth.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11 am Friday, June 7th at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 5510 N. 44th followed by a lunch reception.

In place of flowers, donations in Guelda’s name can be made to the Jesuit Community at https://www.jesuits.org/support-us/support-our-work/ OR the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center at https://gtcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1463