Leda Gismondi

Leda Gismondi (DeGusipe), age 102, passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones on December 26, 2025. Leda was born on August 3, 1923, in Edenborn PA to Carmen and Palmarosa (Fiori) DeGusipe. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, James F. (“Jimmy”) Gismondi, Sr., her adoring son, James F. Gismondi Jr., her brothers Marco, Paul (”Banj”), and Ferdinand (“Guy”) DeGusipe and her sister Margaret Revak. She is survived by her loving children, Janine Gismondi (John Koritko), John Gismondi (Lisa), and Julie Gismondi (John Schaal), seven grandchildren, six great grandchildren, one great grandchild on the way and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. Her parents immigrated to this country from Italy in 1912 and instilled in their children a very proud Italian heritage while growing up in a “company house" in Edenborn, a coal patch hamlet populated by other working-class families of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. Despite being raised during the Great Depression, Leda and her siblings wanted for little as they were reared in a home filled with love, respect, and "family first" values. After graduating from German Township High School in 1941 and advancing in a career which started at GC Murphy's and then moved on Montgomery Ward, Leda decided, as she often said, to "trade it all in for an apron" when she married local sportswriter and broadcast personality, Jimmy Gismondi. Their household on Byrer Ave, ----where Leda lived from 1951 until her death------, eventually grew to include four children, Jim, Janine, John and Julie, in a home filled with unconditional love where the children’s well-being was always the priority. The household, and in particular Leda’s kitchen, was also the epicenter for the many enduring friendships she enjoyed with her contemporaries as well as many of her children's friends. It was a venue that spawned lifelong memories of interesting conversations, laughter, advice, and tears, and one that always provided the opportunity of a home cooked meal. In the mid-1970’s after the sudden passing of her husband Jimmy when she was only 51 years old, Leda, with the support of family and friends, persevered and eventually returned to the workforce as a customer service officer at Fayette Bank, a job she thoroughly enjoyed until retiring in April 1991. She had the pleasure of witnessing the marriages of all of her children, the birth of seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She most enjoyed the company of her family, both immediate and extended, at countless gatherings and celebrations, as well as precious time with friends catching up on personal news and current events, shopping, traveling or just sharing time over a cup of coffee. She particularly enjoyed playing host to a post- Midnight Mass Christmas Eve party for all of her children's friends who looked forward to the annual gathering as an opportunity to reconnect with “Leda.” Outside of her family and work, Leda’s passions were wide and varied, including everything from stylish clothes, home decorating, the stock market and, in her later years, attendance at daily mass. An excellent seamstress, she was renowned for the many beautiful gowns she personally created for the annual Fayette County Heart Ball. Her association with the Heart Ball went far beyond the sartorial as she was a founding member of the event and one of its leading organizers for over twenty years. This devotion to community service was typical of Leda. In addition to the Heart Association, throughout her lifetime she had leadership roles in her church, her children’s schools, the Fayette County Blind Association, The Uniontown Public Library and various investment clubs. But it was her service to the American Heart Association, which was particularly noteworthy, something which was recognized in 2024 when that organization named her as their Volunteer of the Century for her 65 years of work on their behalf. Leda’s children are immensely appreciative that she was able to be an active part of their lives for so many years, and they are forever grateful to the private caregivers who attended to Leda with diligence, kindness, and constant engagement, and to her many friends who made such an effort to stay connected with Leda in her later years. Visitation is at the DeGusipe Funeral Home and Crematory, 65 N. Gallatin Ave., Uniontown PA 15401 on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A funeral mass will be at Saint Therese de Lisieux Roman Catholic Church, 61 Mill St., Uniontown PA at 10:00 am on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in Leda’s memory be made to the American Heart Association https://www.heart.org or by mail to American Heart Association, 444 Liberty Ave., Suite 1300, Pittsburgh PA 15222 or to the James F. Gismondi Learning Center at the Uniontown Library, 24 Jefferson St., Uniontown PA 15401

Leda Gismondi

August 3, 1923 - December 26, 2025