Grace Serio Hall

Grace was born to Lena Gulotta Serio and Salvadore Serio in New Orleans. She attended Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School and the Academy of the Holy Angels, graduating in 1947. While there she was a member of the Dramatic Club, Glee Club, Bookmen Club, C.S.M.C. Sodality and a member of St. Mary's Italian church choir. She went on to attend Loyola University where she excelled in voice and music becoming an accompished pianist and Soprano. She was known to have performed for many New Orleans weddings and was most noted for her rendition of the "Ave Maria".

While attending Loyola, Grace met and married William "Bill" Hall Jr. They had 2 children, Debbie and Billy. They established homes in Monroe, Alexandria, Shreveport in Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee and finally settled back in their home town of New Orleans.

She was born into a very entreprising family of business owners and during the 1950's and 60's she was ahead of her time as a wife, mother, homemaker, and working woman. Her early careers consisted of substitute school teacher, dental assistant and working in advertising at Bauerlein. She also established Crown Vending with her special friend of over 30 years, Joe Curcuru. Grace worked along side her father in the family businesses Tolona Pizza Wholesale and the Mr. Pizza franchise restaurants as well as Serio Foods. Eventually Grace would own and operate the family businesses until she retired.

Grace was known to have an impeccable, chic fashion sense and many from all generations were guided by her fashion advice. She loved her home city of New Orleans and enjoyed fine dining and attending parties for her friends and family. As the Matriarch of her large Italian family, she shared memories and traditions of the generation that came before her. She especially enjoyed having a 90th birthday celebration hosted by her children where she reunited with family and friends that had kept in touch with her through the years.

She will be missed by her life long best friend, Josie Borello Maurer and her husband Emile. They grew up together in the Fauborg Marigny neighborhood and attended all of the same schools and shared a lifetime of memories.

Grace was active in her community and was a Lifetime member of the Elenians Club, St. Elizabeth's Guild, Ladies of the Shield (Brother Martin), Metairie Woman's Club, Okeanos Ladies Auxiliary, the Cefalutana Society, as well as Parents and Grandparents' clubs of Brother Martin, Dominican, Academy of the Sacred Heart and St. Andrew the Apostle schools. She assisted for many years in making Italian cookies for various St. Joseph's altars around the city.

Her special caregivers were Paulette Jackson and Marie Reyes. Their loving care brought her joy and companionship in her later years. The family would like to thank the staff of Passages Hospice Care and NOLA Sitting services for their compassionate care extended to Grace and the family. She was blessed to have wonderful neighbors Barbara Berry, Kelly Ellis, and John Macheca.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lena Gulotta Serio and Salvadore Serio and her grandson Randall William Perrone as well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Grace is survived by her children Deborah (John) and Bill (Jane), and her 7 grandchildren, Dr. Andrea Toomer (Brian), Dayna Perrone Dyle, John Perrone III (Yvonne), Rusty Perrone (Cristy), William Hall IV, Jared Hall (Ciara), and Evan Hall (fiance to Madeleine Long). She has a special angel in heaven, her grandson Randy Perrone. She was known affectionately to her 17 great grandchildren as G.G. (for Grace Gloria).

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services from Lake Lawn Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Monday, July 10, 2023 beginning with a 10 am visitation and commencing with mass at noon. A celebration of life luncheon will immediately follow the mass at the funeral home in the Event Center at Lake Lawn. A private interment will follow for family in St. Patricks #3 Catholic cemetery.

Catholic masses are most welcome as well as donations to the Twins Scholarship in memory of Randy Perrone at Brother Martin High School. Please contact [email protected] for information.