Mary Risso

Mary Risso was born on 7/25/1917 in Stockton, Ca. She lived a long loving life in her 98 years. As a child of 5 in an Italian family, she worked very hard supporting her family’s farm, raising children, and making life long friends. She worked with her sister and brothers on the family farm as a youngster and throughout her young life until she met Joseph Risso, her husband. Mary loved being a homemaker, gardener and she loved to play bridge. She was only 49 years old when her husband passed away. Mary worked at Cannon Cleaners for a short time and eventually helped her son Joe Risso start a successful restaurant in downtown Stockton, called the Soup Cellar. Old timers of Stockton still remember the amazing soups Mary prepared from scratch every day! She was famous for her warmth and love that she bestowed on everyone she met. If you had the pleasure of meeting Mary, you normally walked away with a plate full of cookies, homemade pasta sauce, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed onions, or her specialty, Focaccia bread hot from the oven. She was given the nickname by her family and friends as the Focaccia Queen because she never attended a party without 3-4 variations of Focaccia that was sure to please everyone’s pallet. As an Italian farmer, her green thumb was legendary. Her gardens were full of fruit trees, herbs, and fresh vegetables and you would normally see Mary outside pruning, edging, and talking to her plants which she believed inspired them to grow. And grow and flourish they did just as everyone did when they met Mary. Her generosity of her time, talent and love was very special to all her family and friends. She is survived by her Son, Joe Risso daughter, Marie Dremalas, son-in-law, Jim Dremalas, Grandson, Dan Dremalas, Grand daughter-in-law, Kimberly Dremalas, Grandsons, Matthew and Jacob Dremalas.

A memorial service /rosary will be held on Oct. 26, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at De Young Memorial Chapel, 601 N. California Street, Stockton, Ca.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity.