Filomena Lea
Filomena Lea, a wife, mother, news reporter, published writer of fiction and personal experiences, a teacher of writing, has passed away, and we members of the Allied Authors of Wisconsin will miss her tremendously.
Filomena was a focused, hard-working woman who got the job done. She was also kind and considerate and helped those less fortunate. She passed away on July 25, 2014, at the age of 84.
I miss you, Filomena. I miss so very much, my dear friend.
Maureen Mertens contributed this article.
Allied Authors 
July 31st, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Well said, Maureen.
The group lost some of its spark with Filomena’s passing, but she made an impact that won’t soon be forgotten. We’re all better for having known her, and AAW is richer for having her as part of its heritage.
August 20th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Perhaps those who knew Filomena best won’t be surprised to learn she spent far more time supporting her fellow writers through praise and constructive critiques than reading her own work at Allied Authors of Wisconsin meetings. She spent so much time caring for others and facing real-world challenges; I suppose fictional expeditions had to be relegated to the proverbial back burner. Nonetheless, she attended meetings whenever she could out of passion for the craft — and a fondness for us, her friends.
The writing Filomena did share often tackled injustices that impacted people she cared dearly about. In such cases, her righteous indignation was matched only by her masterful manipulation of the written word. We often encouraged her to submit these articles to one publication or another. The world needed to hear her point of view!
The one example of fiction I recall hearing (back in spring of 2012) was the first chapter of a book centering on her mother’s past — a hybrid novel/biography. I remember how she struggled with presenting an accurate account of history while being respectful of the subject matter. Even in the realm of fiction, she was considerate of those who have come before her and those who might one day read the piece.
And that, too, probably won’t come as any surprise to those who knew her well.
August 31st, 2014 at 3:41 pm
While Filomena and I were in the same writing group, I’m sorry to say I neither had, nor made, the time to get to know her well. That’s not to say we weren’t friendly acquaintances; we were, and I admired and respected the creative woman I knew. Through the writings she shared, I learned bits and pieces of what was clearly a fascinating life. Sadly, I never learned Filomena’s whole STORY and I am the poorer for it. We all have stories—how we became who we are, our beliefs, challenges and experiences, our trials, successes and failures, our hopes, dreams and aspirations and all those myriad elements of life that shape us—and Filomena’s rich story was one of boundless creativity, profound love of family, a deep abiding faith and much much more. Her family, friends, students and fellow writers are all the better for having known her, however briefly. And that, too, probably won’t come as any surprise to those who knew her.