Theresa 'Terry' Piellucci, 92; Active with Enfield Senior Center, Dial-a-Ride

From Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels.

Theresa Sorrentino “Terry” Piellucci, was a brick through your window, but we loved her anyway. Everyone did! Tessie adored her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She worked tirelessly to provide our family with food, shelter, laughter and song. She passed away Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014.

As long as she stayed away from making meatballs and stuffed squid we were all quite content. As a cook Tessie didn’t have volumes of favorite recipes but everyone in the family has delicious memories of their favorites such as her spaghetti sauce or ‘gravy’. Other faves are bracciole, strouffli and red roasted peppers and broccoli rabe.

Terry was born, raised, married and had two children in Brooklyn, NY.

Born Jan. 27, 1922 her stories of growing up with her sister, Olivia, through The Great Depression are all about her love for life, movies, dancing and opera. She said they never knew they were poor … there was always food on the table and her Mother could make a spread out of nothing!

Some of her cherished memories are standing in the Metropolitan Opera with her brother, Mike, enjoying Tosca, La Boheme and her favorite Madame Butterfly.

Besides her daughter, Angie who passed at the age of 42 and her son Arnold, her big love is baseball. She even spent her honeymoon going to Brooklyn Dodgers games. In case you haven’t yet learned she is a diehard Yankees fan!

In 1956 Terry and the family moved to Long Island. Arnold gave her two grandsons, Mike and John. The boys have married with children of their own. Mike is in San Diego with son, Joey, 17 and daughter, Sophia 13. Grandson John, and wife Jen, live in Queen Creek, AZ with daughter, Emma 4.5. Son Arnold married Patty Coope in 1995.

Terry was president of her Senior Club for years on L.I. She was very effective at working deals with areas businesses for donating items to various events raising funds both for their senior center and charity.

She moved to Enfield, in 1999. Though she left friends on L.I. She made many more in the past 14 years here. She served in an active role on Enfield’s Dial-A-Ride Committee planning special trips. Since moving to CT she spent every Monday and Wednesday at the Enfield Senior Center playing cards with friends and many nights playing a variety of games with friends at Mark Twain Congregate Living Center.

She was well loved and will be greatly missed and cherished for her generous spirit!

Her family will receive friends on Thursday, Aug. 21 from 2 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels, 61 South Rd., Enfield.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Dial-A-Ride, 299 Elm Street, Enfield, CT 06082.