THERESA CUICCHI MALATESTA, 88, of Shaw, Mississippi, passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the Good Samaritan Healthcare Center in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Shaw. Burial will follow in Shaw Cemetery under the direction of Ray Funeral Home. Visitation will be Tuesday at the church from 10-11 a.m. Mrs. Malatesta was born on May 23, 1919, in Heathman, Mississippi to the late Giuseppe and Elisa Spadini Cuicchi. Her parents immigrated to America in the early 1900's. She married Primo Malatesta on November 10, 1943, in Shaw. Mrs. Malatesta was extremely proud of her Italian heritage, and in the early 1980's she researched and compiled the Cuicchi and Malatesta family histories - from Italy to the USA. The results of her research have been used by various authors in books documenting the Italians that settled in the Mississippi Delta. She loved to talk about Italy and the Delta Italians. Mrs. Malatesta is survived by her children, Ralph Malatesta (Deborah) of Little Rock, AR, John Malatesta (Leila) of Flora, MS, Mary Finn (Mickey) of Hot Springs Village, AR and Charles Malatesta (Carla) of Gulf Shores, AL; her grandchildren, Susan Malatesta of San Francisco, CA, Tracy Finn (Morgan) of Russellville, AR, Allison Finn of Little Rock, AR, Zack Malatesta of Gulf Shores, AL, and Jessi Malatesta of Gulf Shores, AL; her sisters, Mary Perrone of Wilmington, DE, Christine Perron of Clinton, MS, and Edith (Joe) Pesce of Kennett Square, PA; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Primo; her parents; and her siblings, Albert Cuicchi, Jenny C. Sabbatini, Frank Cuicchi, Lee Cuicchi, and Elnora C. Howard. The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff at the Good Samaritan Healthcare Center and to her devoted sitters in Shaw, Glenda Bounds, Diane Johnson, and Lucy Means. Memorials may be made to the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Shaw or the organization of your choice. Pallbearers will be Tracy Finn, Zack Malatesta, James Cuicchi, Darryl Malatesta, Lawrence Spadini, and Henry Mosco. Ray Funeral Home (Published in The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN)