Lucille Florence Verzi

Lucille is survived by daughter Ann F. McCann.

Lucille was preceded in death by father Charles Paul and mother Rose Cote.

Lucille Florence Verzi (nee Paul) joined her beloved husband Anthony, Sr. after passing away peacefully on Wednesday, September 9, 2020. Surrounded by her four children, their spouses, Anthony, Jr. (Karen), Ann (d. Bruce), Cynthia (Scott), and Christine (Frank), many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, this beautiful woman left us to once again dance to Frank Sinatra hits with Tony.

Lu and Tony’s love produced a family of nine grandchildren, Alina, David, Casey, Danny, Carly, Emilie, Bailey, Matthew and Anthony, and nine great grandchildren, Kamille, Aliyah, Coltyn, Nora, Alex, Seamus, Anthony, Austin and Lemmy. Their home was a haven for the entire family, and welcoming to all of us, no matter the situation. Many summer vacations, family gatherings, birthday celebrations and milestones were celebrated within the walls of their Redland home. Together, they built a home of joy and love, full of family, friends and neighbors.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lu was the youngest of eight children, where French was their first language. This later led to her to be called Mémère by her grandchildren and great grandchildren, or Mem for short. As a young girl, Lu worked in the family owned bakery and was very proud of the fact that her brother Billy made President John F. Kennedy’s wedding cake. Her favorite treats were the jelly filled donuts. While her family was not well-off, her brothers worked hard and pooled their money so that Lu could attend Catholic schools and she graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy in Fall River. They continued to support her through nursing school which served as the foundation of her career.

She met the love of her life, Anthony Verzi, on a blind date (which is a scenario that has been re-enacted to the family’s great amusement by Emilie and Matthew). Lu was finishing her last year of college, and Tony was working at the Boston Navy Yard. It was love at first sight. According to Lucille, she informed Tony they would be married on April, 23rd of 1952, and being the easy-going guy he was, Tony showed up on the right day, starting their lives together. They spent the next 67 years together until Tony passed away in 2019.

While raising a family of four children, Lu managed a busy nursing career including working at James Archer Smith Hospital, Homestead Medical Center and private duty nursing. Later in her career she taught nursing through the Dade County Adult Education Program. She touched the lives of so many people in Homestead, and this was evident in the last days of her life, when she was cared for by nurses she once taught. She once offered her nursing services to Frank Sinatra before a performance in Miami Beach to prevent him from missing a show, but unfortunately his security prevented that medical intervention from happening. In the eighties, Lu found another love in Miami, Vizcaya. She volunteered as a guide and would come home and tell us what a beautiful place it was to spend a day. Through the years she would take her grandchildren, one at a time, to her beautiful Vizcaya. The best part was they got their Mémère all to themselves for the day.

Our loss is immeasurable and the hurt in our hearts only softens by knowing that Lu and Tony are once again together. The two of them had a love that most only see in storybooks (or Hallmark channel). We are grateful for her presence in our lives and the love she demonstrated throughout her life. Our family would like to express our sincere gratitude for the outpouring of gifts of food, flowers, kind words and overall support we have received in honor of Lucille. We encourage all to live their lives with love and follow her advice for a happy, successful long life: "Believe in God, be in love, and eat good."

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmswoodlawnnaranja.com for the Verzi family.

A burial for Lucille will be held Monday, September 14, 2020 at 12:00 AM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmswoodlawnnaranja.com for the Verzi family.