Concetta C. Fazio

In her memory, Concetta (but more commonly known to her family and friends as "Cookie") would not be saying "Good-bye" right now, but rather, "Ta Ta for now!", as that was her customary parting words after a great meal and a journey back home. Born on July 16, 1945 in Manhattan, New York, she was the second child of Salvatore Floriano and Amelia Siniscalchi. She attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New York, and she was a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church after moving to Palm Bay, FL in 1986.

She is survived by her sons, Rick (Deana) Fazio and Jim Fazio (Darcy Forber) and grandchildren, Hannah and Erin. She is predeceased by her husband, Frank; her parents, Salvatore and Amelia; her brothers, Joseph and George; and her sister, RoseMarie.

Before passing, Cookie forged a 76-year trail of laughter, generosity, compassion and wisdom. She was known for her lighthearted humor, not holding back her opinion, and a knack for telling it like it is. If she didn't agree with you, or if you responded to her with a smart remark, she'd gladly tell to you to "Go scratch your ass!" She always told you the truth even if it wasn't what you wanted to hear. With that said, she was genuine to a fault, a pussy cat at heart, and left lasting impressions with everyone she met. She was a good conversationalist, and was always up to speed on the current events. You could always ask about her political views & opinions, which included some choice descriptive words that are not quite suitable for print, but you get the drift.

Spectrum Cable will be sad to see her go, as she loved her game shows, crime series, America's Got Talent, The Voice, and especially This is Us, A Million Little Things, and Manifest. She will be a bit upset she's missing this season's episodes. Cookie would have been a winning contestant on the Price is Right if given the chance. Watching her play along with the show when spending time over her son's house during a hurricane one year, it was without a doubt she'd make it all the way to the Showcase Showdown! She had a few expletives for the contestants who didn't know their prices--poor souls. And, don't worry about missing a good TV show, she'll give you a call and let you know when to tune in--if you wanted to.

Cookie was a master cook in the kitchen. And, everything had to be scorching HOT--all of our lips and tongues are scarred for life. We all never understood how she still had a tongue left after biting into all those piping hot slices of Bizzarro's pizza over the years! She scoffed with raised eyebrows at her son trying to make her homemade meatballs "healthy" up to her final days. If anyone would like a copy of her sensational homemade gravy, it's not available.

She wasn't big on luxuries, and spent her money wisely. She did have exceptional taste for food, however. She loved her whole wheat biscuits from the city, cream filled pastries & pies, NY style pizza from Bizzarro's on the beach only, and don't forget about those filets, clams, mussels and lobster tails. In her earlier years, she would order the largest platter of seafood on the menu, and we'd all wonder how that tiny little Italian lady would finish it all. She didn't disappoint us, and even had room for dessert.

Of special note, in Italian Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the residents of the community look forward to an annual "Giglio Feast" held every July. The Shrine Church Of Our Lady of Mount Carmel took over the reins of this important feast, and almost immediately, the church combined the Giglio Feast with the feast honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Since 1958 and the merging of the two saint days into one celebration (known as the Cooperative Feast), the Giglio Feast has been celebrated in July, with all activities leading up to its culmination on July 16th, the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which ironically was also Cookie's birthday. This feast, which has been taking place in Brooklyn for over 100 years, commemorates an extraordinary bit of southern Italian history. Because of her love of a good meal, I am sure she and her brother George are "stuffing their faces" as she'd like to say, on some damn good feasts in Heaven--Buon appetito!

Lastly, her family hopes she finds those perfect slippers in heaven. We didn't seem to get it right here on Earth, as every Christmas they were either too hard, too soft, or too this or too that. Heaven has to have those slippers that fit her just right.

In closing, she left this world with family & friends who loved and adored her. She was a loving & devoted mother, and her biggest passion in life, besides eating a good lobster tail, was being a Mom and spending time with her two sons & grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Please make checks payable to “Partnership Schools,” noting Mount Carmel Holy Rosary in the memo line, and send to: Jill Kafka, Partnership Schools, 1011 First Avenue, 18th Fl., New York, NY 10022, or donate at: https://partnershipnyc.networkforgood.com/projects/54296-mt-carmel-holy-rosary-school.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 12:00pm at Fountainhead Funeral Home, 7359 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, Florida with interment at a later date at Gates of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. The visitation will be held from 11:00am to the time of the service.