| Linda C. Giuditta, Devoted Mother, Friend and Actress Linda C. Giuditta, a 65-year resident of Westfield, passed away on Sunday, July 19, at the age of 91 after a long illness. Born and raised in Garwood, she was the daughter of the late Carmine and Olympia Guerriero, and she was pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Dr. Nicholas A. Giuditta, of 42 years in 1993.
A passionate lover of theatre and music since she was a child performing in the backyard, Linda attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City as a young woman. There she learned how to create the comedic and dramatic characters and accents that were the hallmark of her theatrical career throughout her life in community theatre.
She also loved playing piano, and gave her children and numerous nieces and nephews many happy hours around the piano playing and singing Christmas carols. For numerous years, her home was the site of joyous family barbecues and holiday parties that she and her husband Nick orchestrated as a team.
Linda and Nick were instrumental in the founding and securing of property for Westfield Community Players, one of the longest continuously running community theatres in New Jersey. Together they were involved with shows at Grant School and Roosevelt Junior High School, which provided the earliest venues for Community Players' fledgling productions.
Over the years, on the Community Players' stage, she had leading roles in "Social Security," "The Cemetery Club," "There Goes the Bride," "Cactus Flower," "Enter Laughing," "The Crucible," and "Look Homeward Angel," in addition to many other parts. She was on the Playreading Committee for ten years and was in charge of the Casting Committee for many years as well.
Also a longtime member of the Cranford Dramatic Club, she played some of her favorite characters there: Miss Hannigan in "Annie," Bloody Mary in "South Pacific," Mrs. Van Daan in "The Diary of Anne Frank," Grandma in "Lost in Yonkers" and Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit."
She ran her husband's dental office for many years after her children were grown, as well as managing the many details of the professional dental groups that he headed. Linda was a generous person who always shared her bountiful life with her children with family trips to Hawaii, Italy and many day trips to New York and New Jersey theatre.
She was pre-deceased by her two older sisters Garentina Riccardo and Virginia Guerriero, who always smoothed the way for her; and her three brothers, James, Anthony and Carmine. She will be deeply missed by her children, Camille Giuditta Sorensen of Washington, D.C.; Roz Giuditta of Scotch Plains, N.J.; Nicholas A. Giuditta III and his wife Francine of Cranford, N.J.; their sons Nicholas IV and Christopher, along with many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
The family requests that donations be made to Westfield Community Players, Attention Giuditta Fund, 1000 North Avenue West, Westfield, N.J. 07090 |
