Louis Joseph Messina

Louis Joseph Messina, 73, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, passed away on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. Louis was born in Queens, New York on May 7, 1948 to the late Mauro Edward and Doris May Brown Messina. He is survived by his wife Carol Kinnamon Messina; three siblings, Dolores, Joe, and John Messina; four children, Mauro, Anna, and Vincent Messina and Marian Bivona; two stepchildren Stephanie Holden and Jeff Carter; six grandchildren, Patrick, Sophia, and Cohen Messina, Holly Sebring, Trey Morrison, and Maggie Bivona; one step-grandson, Samuel Carter; and two great-grandchildren, Hunter and Luke Sebring. Louis retired from Pepsi Cola Customer Service with 20 years of service. One of the most prominent memories Louis left with us was that of his strong work ethic. If the sun was up, he was outside caring for his lawn, splitting wood, or maintaining the farm. Perhaps one the most inspiration examples of this ethos was his decision to return and complete college after most of his children had grown and left the home. We’ll remember how his reserved nature was counterbalanced by a subtle and mischievous sense of humor. He enjoyed playing practical jokes and tossing out sly comments, each of which he would deliver straight-faced, but then quickly expose with his near-silent, shoulder-shrugging chuckle and twinkling eyes.  We’ll remember that Louis was fond of family gatherings and how it was always a treat to drop in when he was serving his tasty spaghetti sauce or perfectly cooked roast beef. We’ll also remember, much to our amusement, that he was never quite able to transfer those culinary skills to the outdoor grill. Hardly ever was there a steak or hamburger that he grilled that wasn’t blackened on the outside and cool on the inside. We’ll always appreciate that he eventually surrendered the grill to more qualified family members. We’ll remember that Louis loved piling the family into the car for long, explorative drives, the radio tuned to public programming. His young children, of course, weren’t so enthusiastic about the trips to nowhere in particular, but now value how they helped foster an appreciation for educational programming and some measure of wanderlust. We’ll remember his abilities as a craftsman, established in his adolescent years when, rather than play baseball with friends, he helped his father build their family home. He continued to apply those skills throughout his life: clubhouses for the kids, bookshelves, brick walkways, birdhouses and, once, a rowboat. We’ll remember how proud he was to have been a Boy Scout and how he loved to share stories about his boyhood trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch. And we’ll remember how later in life, when he was a Scoutmaster, he would bring his children along on troop camping trips and helped to instill in them a love for the outdoors. We’ll remember his love of the family dogs over the years, Tilly in recent years, and his love of all wild creatures from the deer and wild turkey to the raccoon and many birds that frequented the farm as well as a friendly red-tailed hawk he took to feeding. We will remember how much he loved his family and how this was often expressed through the educational, career or financial guidance he provided and through thoughtful, yet practical gifts he gave in support of his family’s interests. And, we’ll remember his love for musicals, British television, biographies, and classic movies and how they often were a part of his many conversations with us. We’re sad that we’re separated from Louis and will strive to honor his memory by carrying forward the attributes that we most valued in him. The family will receive friends from 10am to 12pm on Saturday, July 3, at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home, located at 3315 Silas Creek Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. A private memorial service will follow for immediate family members. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the many charities that Louis supported such as the Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 152079 Irving, TX. 75015, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105, U.S.O., P.O. Box 96860, Washington DC, 20077, or The Salvation Army, 2100 Reynolds Park Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27107. Online condolences made be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.