Early Years and Schooling

 

Ignazio De Bellis was a teacher, friend, and mentor to students throughout his life. Born in a small port town on the Adriatic Sea at the end of World War II during the twilight of Mussolini's fall, he would embark across an ocean in 1962 to the United States. When he left Italy, he was already a high school graduate and looked forward to being the first in his family to attend university. Ignazio had long dreamed of becoming a teacher. His application to the University of Illinois was rejected; his European transcripts did not transfer. So, he attended a school run by the YMCA and earned a high school diploma, followed by an associate degree. Two years after being rejected by the University of Illinois, he finally was accepted. By then, he had married and settled in Chicago.

 

In America

 

Ignazio certainly was no stranger to hard work; the child of tenant farmers in the Italian countryside, he had labored as a farmhand for years. In America, he worked around his classes to support his family. Finally, in 1974, Ignazio received the degree of bachelor of arts from the University of Illinois. He began teaching at the University while pursuing his graduate studies and would soon earn a master of arts degree.

 

Business and Community Service

 

For a time, Ignazio worked as a translator and interpreter, offering these services to local businesses. He also gave back to his community by volunteering with the Centro Culturale Italiana di Chicago (Italian Cultural Center of Chicago). There he taught the Italian language to children of immigrant parents who wanted to preserve their cultural heritage for a new generation and English to those very same parents, so they could make a good transition to life in their new country. He even helped families sponsor relatives for immigration to the United States, enabling more people to pursue the American Dream.

 

Return to Teaching

 

Eventually, Ignazio left the business world to return to teaching. He joined Gordon Technical High School, an all-boys’ school run by the Catholic Brothers of the Resurrection. In addition to teaching foreign languages, he sponsored the literary magazine and yearbook, while also directing and producing theatre productions.

Ignazio continued his teaching career at Elmwood Park High School, where he again devoted himself to his classroom and to investing in the lives of young people through the classroom as well as extracurricular activities such as the fine arts. He remained on the faculty there until his death in 1998.

 

Legacy

 

In a short life—just 53 years—Ignazio realized his dream of teaching and left a legacy of service to his students, family, and community. Hundreds of families across several generations better assimilated into the U.S. through his efforts, learning English while keeping their native tongue alive for another generation, so that family members could communicate and share their heritage and culture across the generations.