Carmela Gloria (Scarcello) Dempsey grew up in a large Italian American family on the Scarcello farm located near Twin Lakes and Rathdrum, Idaho, where she was born in the log cabin homestead. She was a wife, mother of seven, registered nurse, special education teacher and psychiatric nurse with a master's degree in school psychology. She had a beautiful soprano singing voice, and was known for her spirited and sparkling personality.

Carmela was born on Oct. 28, 1925, to Italian immigrants Antonio and Josephine Scarcello. She was the last of nine siblings: Sam, Amelia, Sylvia, Flora, Arthur, Henry, Esther and Julia. She passed away on Aug. 27, 2015, at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane.

Carmela met her future husband and love of her life, Curran D. Dempsey, along the shores of Twin Lakes when she was 11 and he was 13. Curran was the only child of Spokane hotelier Robert Dempsey and Helen (Curran) Dempsey. Carmela and Curran married in 1947 at Sacred Heart Church in Spokane, and had seven children. Curran was a professional electrical engineer for the Washington Water Power Company (now Avista Utilities), and passed away in 1999 after 61 years of marriage to Carmela.

Carmela was valedictorian of Rathdrum High School. She left the farm at age 17 to work at Fort George Wright in Spokane. She enrolled in the uniformed U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II as a student nurse at Sacred Heart School of Nursing, graduating in 1947. All cadet nurses took an oath ending with: "As a Cadet Nurse, I pledge to my country my service in essential nursing for the duration of the war."

Carmela worked part time in the nursery in Pullman, and later for a number of years in Spokane at Sacred Heart Hospital, while raising her children. Carmela followed her children to college and obtained a Bachelor of Science in special education from Eastern Washington University, where she graduated with high honors. She taught special education at the elementary level for five years. After earning a master's degree in school psychology from EWU, she returned to nursing, her first love.

Carmela retired from the nursing profession at age 72, as a psychiatric nurse manager at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. At her 40-year reunion for Sacred Heart School of Nursing, she stated that her proudest achievements were her seven children, and the fact they were all college graduates. She also took pride in her hard-earned academic and career accomplishments.

Carmela participated in various church and public school activities, but nurturing her family was always her highest priority. She served as president of Spokane County Council of PTAs, and as vice-president of St. Paschal's Parish religious education program. She loved singing, and was a member of St. Mary's choir and Project Joy choir during her last years. Her Catholic faith was very important to her throughout her life.

Carmela cherished her extended Italian family. She often visited the Scarcello ranch, which was located near the family lake property at Twin Lakes. A superb cook, she loved to prepare Italian specialties for her family, relatives and friends. She was a rock of support for many family members, and looked after the affairs of her first cousins, Effie and Virginia, whom she grew up near on the farm and considered as her sisters.

In 1995, Carmela traveled to Italy with two of her daughters, Carmela and Candace. Carmela toured the country that her Italian-born parents talked about almost daily, fluently speaking the Italian dialect she had learned as a child, and staying with her relatives in the small town of Pedace in the province of Calabria. Last year she cruised to Alaska with her daughter, Carmela Marie.

Carmela was preceded in death by her husband, Curran; her parents and by her daughter, Carole Kathleen (Peppard), also a registered nurse, who passed away at age 43. Carmela is survived by her children, Daniel (Susan Lange), Sherry (Zenen) Antoniak, Candace (Mark Rosenblum), Michael (Nancy DeFelice Dempsey), Curran (Becki Vogt Dempsey) and Carmela Marie Kelly. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jacob Rosenblum; Andrew, Matthew and Michael (Dempsey); Maria, Damian, Katherine and Stephen (Antoniak); Mark Peppard; McKenzie and Logan Dempsey; and numerous cousins.

We rejoice in the remarkable life that Carmela led, the help and generosity she extended to others, and the great love that she gave to all of us.

The family deeply appreciates the exceptional medical care given to Carmela, and the many kindnesses extended to family members, by the doctors, nurses and staff at Deaconess Hospital.

Vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 304 S. Adams Road, Spokane Valley, Wash. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, at St. Mary's church. A reception will follow in the church gym. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery, 7200 N. Wall St., Spokane. Please visit www.HennesseyFuneral Homes.com to share your thoughts and memories with our family, and visit the Sympathy Store for gifts and flowers.