Annette worked alongside her husband Ross through their many years in the grocery business in Houston. On some days she was the cheerful checker who knew every customer by name and other days she was Ross's "Courtesy Booth" sidekick. They worked and laughed their way through 70 years together.
The focus of her life was always her husband, her four daughters, their husbands whom she loved as the sons she never had, and continued with her nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Her life’s career was being an exceptional homemaker, but she was so much more than that. She involved herself in all the activities of her four daughters. She served as room mother at Blessed Sacrament School and was a driver for all field trips at St. Thomas More. The kids would always fight to be in Mrs. Greco’s car for they knew that was where the fun would be had.
Annette possessed many talents. She was an excellent cook and master of making Italian cookies. Her greatest joy was to make a variety of cookies at Christmas to give away to family, friends and all of her neighbors. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren would look forward to her baking classes of both Cuccidati (Italian fig cookies) and Easter bread. If you entered the Greco kitchen, you would be fed with her many delicious dishes.
Along with her cooking and baking talent, she had the ability to sew and to crochet anything you could imagine, and she became quite the expert at these skills. If you came to visit her, you would probably leave with an afghan in hand or anything she could find to give as a gift. She would never let anyone leave her home empty handed.
Annette was in her element among her family and many friends playing cards, telling jokes and laughing endlessly. She had an infectious personality and warmth that captured all those who met her. Her overwhelming capacity of love extended beyond her family as all those who met her were instantly her friend. She made everyone in her presence feel special and loved. She became a second mom and “MawMaw” to many friends of three generations.
She was a proud Italian-American woman, and a member of the Allegria Club and the Ladies of Sacred Heart. She was also an active volunteer for many years at the Houston Italian Festival and many other events of the Federation now known as the Italian Cultural and Community Center.
In the center of all this love for her family, she held the highest place for our Lord and His Mother. She and her husband were devout Catholics and dedicated members of Blessed Sacrament Church until their move to St. Thomas More Parish where they were parishioners for 40 plus years. She couldn’t attend mass for a long time, but she would watch on TV and always had her rosary near at hand. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t verbally give thanks to God. She knew she had been given many blessings and for that she was so thankful.
She was preceded in death by her husband and love of her life, Ross Greco, Jr.; her parents, Leonard and Margarette Cunzalo; and her eight siblings. She is survived by her daughters, Diane DiPuma and her husband Frank, Margaret Bannon and her husband John, Theresa Stewart and her husband Don, and Rosalyn Ingenthron and her husband Doug; her grandchildren, Frank DiPuma, Jr. and his wife Gina, Gina DiPuma Plake and her husband Steven, Kimberly Fricke Gattis and her husband Eric, Phillip Bannon and his wife Molly, Donn Stewart, and his fiancé Kirstin Tucker, Michael Stewart, Blake, Camille and Christopher Ingenthron; her great-grandchildren, Emily and Carly DiPuma, Briana and Andrew Plake, and Allison Gattis.
The family would like to thank Paige May who lovingly cared for Annette during the last few months. Thanks also goes to Carolyn Hoffman, her friend and Eucharistic Minister, and to long-time friend and caregiver, Mable Tucker, who was always there to answer the call for additional help. Lastly, our thanks to her Brookdale “sorority” sisters, Betty, Joyce, and Bessie, just to name a few who kept her company these past few years.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 7th of February, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the recitation of the holy rosary in to commence at seven o’clock.
A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at half-past two o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, the 8th of February, at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Community, 1530 Norwalk Drive in Katy, where the Rev. Tom Lam, Pastor, will celebrate.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the nearby Family Center.
The Rite of Committal is to be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 10th of February, in the Pine Lawn section of Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale Street in Houston, where the orange color-coded arrows will lead you to the location from the entrance.
Honored to serve as pallbearers are Frank DiPuma, Jr., Phillip Bannon, Donn and Michael Stewart, Blake and Christopher Ingenthron, Steven and Andrew Plake, Eric Gattis, Frank Messina, and Kevin Wollin.
In lieu of customary remembrances and for those desiring, memorial contributions may be directed to MD Anderson Cancer Center for Breast Cancer Research, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030.
"Annette was a rare gem that will live on in our hearts forever. How blessed are we to have been loved by her."
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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