Raffaella “Folly” (Romano) Basile, 84, recently of Charleston, passed away quietly at Hubbard House West in South Charleston on March 25, 2022, after a recent illness, surrounded by members of her family.
Folly was born in Clarksburg, on June 28, 1937, the daughter of Betty (nee Arco) Romano and Fiorino “Chico” Romano, both of whom preceded her in death. She was married to her high school sweetheart, Thomas P. Basile, who preceded her in death on their 56th wedding anniversary (Feb. 5, 2012).
Folly is survived by her three children: Thomas Fiorino Basile and his spouse Josephine “Jody” (nee Mueller), of Charleston, Clara Jean Basile and her partner Jeanne Carstensen, of San Francisco, and Mark Anthony Basile and his spouse Maria (nee Giordano), of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; five grandchildren: Joanna Basile and her spouse Carey Major, of Orlando, Fla., Emily Basile and her partner, Wes Smolder, of South Charleston, Sarah Basile, of Charleston, and Giovanni and Sophia Basile, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; one sister, Kathleen Yeager, of Clarksburg; two sisters-in-law, Sylvia Basile and Regina Basile, both of Clarksburg; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, each of whom were dear to her heart and all whom she loved deeply.
Throughout her life, Folly involved herself in church, school and community activities. She volunteered at the local VA Hospital for more than 20 years, comforting the sick and infirmed. She was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court #334 and was chosen a Catholic Daughter of the Year in 2004. She and her late husband were also active in the local chapter of the Serra Club for many years. For more than 50 years, Folly was an active member of Immaculate Conception Parish, serving as both a Eucharistic Minister and in the funeral choir until her recent illness prohibited her from continuing in those roles and required her to move from her longtime home in Clarksburg to Charleston, where she could receive more direct support and help from her son and his wife. Throughout her life, she was recognized as someone that many people leaned upon for comfort, advice and spiritual support.
Two of her proudest moments in life were being honored as an Irish Legend by Notre Dame High School in 2016 and as the Italian American Woman of the Year by the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival in 2017. Folly and her late husband Tom were deeply involved in nurturing this long-running festival that celebrated their own Italian heritage and added to West Virginia’s diverse cultural background.
Folly’s consistent passion throughout life was as a self-taught artist, whose natural talent and abilities were influenced only minimally by a few art classes and seminars she attended over the years. Her talent for drawing and art was evident from an early age. She designed her own sets of paper dolls with clothes and shoes to match. As a young girl, she was inspired by stories of life in Italy that her grandmother Caterina (nee Congi) Arco told her, and she incorporated these Italian themes into her drawings and paintings throughout her life as an artist. Her artwork adorns many homes and businesses throughout Clarksburg and beyond.
Her first public recognition came from entering a few paintings in the Strawberry Festival, where she won the People’s Choice award as well as a second place finish in the judge’s category. She was honored to put on a one-woman art show at one of the early WV Italian Heritage Festivals at the Clarksburg Public Library, which was well received by the public. Her paintings and artwork were not simply creations for her own enjoyment and those of family and friends; a substantial number were commissioned works for pay. One art lover commissioned her to paint over 20 portraits of famous celebrities like Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis and James Dean, to name just a few. She was also commissioned by Fairmont State University to create artwork commemorating the loss of life that resulted from West Virginia coal mine disasters. This painting was placed at the Folk Life Center and depicted memorials created in the U.S. and Italy honoring the deceased coal miners. In October 2015, she was chosen Woman of the Year in The Arts by the Progressive Women’s Association for her years of involvement and contribution to the local arts community.
In addition to her passion for art, she and her late husband, Tom, shared a love of travel, both stateside and abroad. They proudly boasted of vacationing in Aruba for 40 consecutive years and were even awarded keys to the tiny Dutch island by locals. Naturally, their extensive travels also included trips to Italy and Sicily, including visits to San Giovanni in Fiore, Cosenza and Calabria, the ethnic roots of both Folly and Tom’s ancestors. These visits inspired her to contribute to artwork used for the WV Italian Heritage Festival over the years, including the covers of Italian cookbooks containing the delicious recipes of so many West Virginia Italian American families and the festival program.
Folly’s presence will be sorely missed by her friends and family, but they are also comforted to know that she is now at peace with her Lord and with so many loved ones who have passed on before her.
Family and friends will be received at the Davis Funeral Home, from 3-8 p.m. with a prayer service beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, led by Folly’s cousin, Father Patsy Iaquinta. A Catholic funeral liturgy will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 1, with Father Casey Mahone of Immaculate Conception and Father Patsy Iaquinta, as co-celebrants.
Entombment will follow in the Holy Cross Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, friends and family may wish to make a charitable contribution in Folly’s name to one of the following: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation Inc., a charitable foundation supporting families affected by Prion Disease (https://cjdfoundation.org/donate), Notre Dame High School in Clarksburg, Immaculate Conception Parish or a local hospice group of your choice.
Condolences:
www.davisfuneralhomewv.com
