Emilia Zecchino

With humble hearts and deep gratitude for her beloved life, we announce the peaceful passing of Emilia Zecchino, 96, in Hollywood, Florida, on June 20, 2024, surrounded by her daughter, Linda. Emilia, a cherished soul, is now sitting at the feet of Jesus. She was born in Bari, Italy, to Vittorio Lorusso and Carmela Capozzi, on March 5, 1928. She married Domenico R. Zecchino in Flushing, NY, on December 1, 1947.

 Emilia is preceded in death by her husband, Domenico Zecchino, and her son, Vincent Zecchino.

She is survived by Domenick Zecchino (her son), Linda Zecchino (her daughter), Antonietta Lorusso (her sister), Daniella Richart (her granddaughter), and DeMarco Morales (her great-grandson).

Emily lived a life of love, generosity, and service, touching the lives of everyone she encountered.  

Emilia (Emily) was born in Bari, Italy, in 1928 during a rampant depression.  Her life in Italy was full of twists and turns, moving to Rome, Trieste, and then in 1937 to Ethiopia in East Africa when it became an Italian colony. The few years of peace and prosperity the family enjoyed in that fabulous land were suddenly overtaken by the brutality and horrors of the beginning of World War II as it made its way across the continent.

In 1941, her dad was taken prisoner of war while the rest of the family of 5, leaving all the belongings behind, were also taken prisoner and sent back to Italy in 1941.  

During the American troops’ occupation of Italy, Emily met her GI husband and came to America as a War Bride in 1947.  Landing in NYC, without speaking English, she helped her husband run a grocery store in Flushing, Queens, for 20 years.  She became a widow at 43 and moved to Hollywood, FL, in 1972 with her three children.

At 55, with a meager investment, Emily ventured on her own and opened “Holiday Caterers.”  A few years later, she saw her company slowly evolve into a wholesale frozen food enterprise. She renamed the company “Holiday Foods”.  With a small business administration loan, she built a USDA plant, manufacturing an upscale line of hors d’oeuvres, canapes, and center-of-the-plate specialties sold to several hotel chains, country clubs, and cruise lines through renowned distributors around the United States.  The business rapidly expanded, and Emily had as many as 200 people on her payroll.

After 23 years of hard work and sacrifices, Emily sold her company and retired at 78. She worked on her memoir for three years and was asked to share her American Dream with several groups and organizations.

Emily’s life was deeply rooted in her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Every morning, she began her day with an open bible, meditating on the word of God.  A day didn’t begin at Holiday Foods without a prayer circle with her employees.  

Emily loved her family and people; her love language was food.  She had the gift of hospitality and enjoyed entertaining and creating beautiful holiday meals.  The kitchen was her favorite room in the house.

Emily often said, “To all of you who endure life’s struggles, have courage and pray.”   She hoped her story would encourage others to listen to that little voice inside of them and never give up. She wished her life would demonstrate that ordinary people can do extraordinary things and that earnest prayers are always answered.  We believe her life did just that.  She will be greatly missed.

Emily’s family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to her entire Vitas Hospice Team, her aides, Eva Hart and Maria Cristina Arevalo Sique.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Emilia Zecchino’s name to NAMI, The National Association of Mental Illness.