Haydee Mejia

Haydee Mejia, 100, passed away very peacefully at her home on March 23, 2018, surrounded by the love and care of her daughter. Haydee was born in Managua, Nicaragua on April 8, 1917 to Hernan Mejia and Josefa Ortega de Mejia. Haydee lived a very long and happy life. At an early age, she took the responsibility of supporting her widowed mother and siblings. She was married to the late Mario Parodi with whom she had three children, Maria Jose, Mario Maurizio and Noel Ernesto. She was an entrepreneur, a motivator, a community leader but most of all a mother and head of her entire family and a loyal friend. She was a self starter and an accomplished business owner, influenced and mentored by the likes of Manuel J. Riguero. Haydee began her career as a secretary to Mr. Riguero, where she displayed exceptional business acumen and became a business partner. She continued to advance her business dealings. Her most notable businesses included a mechanic shop, a flower shop, a book store, an Academy of Culture for young girls, an exclusive fabric boutique, and a coffee shop. Her name became synonymous with honesty, ethics, and leadership. She was highly respected and sought out for advice and counsel. Haydee was the first woman elected as Director of the Chamber of Commerce and President of the Asociacion de Mujeres Profesionales y de Negocios. Although her success was unparalleled, she fled to New Orleans, Louisiana due to a political conflict in Nicaragua in 1979 where she would reside and thrive as a naturalized patriot.
Haydee was a visionary, she challenged life itself to try and stop her. She was a very hard worker and could never stand the thought of sitting still. She always sought out business opportunities even at the late stage in her life. She always found a way to push the limits in every venture she pursued. She also took a large range of roles throughout her lifetime as a mother figure for countless extended family and friends. She was instrumental in raising several grandchildren and great-grandchildren passing along several decades of knowledge, love, and wisdom. She enjoyed several things in life but none more than when she wielded her pen and paper. She wrote just as passionately as she worked Haydee was a devoted Catholic and lived by those principles all her life. She was preceded in death by her son Mario Maurizio. She is survived by her daughter Maria Jose Delagneau, her son Noel E. Parodi, and her eleven grandchildren: Alexander, Jose Joaquin, Gerald, Christine, Paola, Clarissa, Christopher, Rebecca, Carla, Noel Enrique, and Gabriella.
Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Memorial Visitation at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, on Saturday, March 31, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. A Celebration of life service will begin at 11:00 a.m. On line guest book at www.greenwoodfh.com

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