Obituary of THERESA GRACE RICCARDI

Theresa (“Tess”) Grace Riccardi entered into eternal rest at Stamford Hospital on June 13th, 2016 after a long battle with vascular dementia. Theresa was born in Stamford, CT on November 2nd, 1922 to the late Gaetano and Anna Della Corte.She was an accomplished student, graduating from StamfordHigh School in 1939 at the age of 16.Theresa worked for Air Radio during World War II. After the war, she married Victor Riccardi of Hibbing, MNin 1947.Theresa worked at Springdale School and at Machlett Laboratories until her retirement.She was a devoted wife, the mother of four boys, and a friend to many, always putting others ahead of herself.Theresa loved cooking for family and friends. She was a voracious reader and was exceptionally artistic, having createdmany drawings. She enjoyed arts-and-crafts and crossword puzzles, and rarely was anyone able beat her at Scrabble. She also loved to dance. Tess and her brother, Matt, were avid dancers and would compete regularly in local Lindy hop competitions.Theresa’s loving husband, Victor, predeceased her on March 6, 1978. Theresa is survived by her sister, Grace Palermo, her sons Victor Jr. (“Rick”), Dennis (Suellen), Thomas, and Gary (Lisa). She is also survived by two cherished grandchildren, Samantha and Victor. In addition to her late husband, Theresa was predeceased by her brothers, Matthew and John. Theresa was fortunate to have been blessed with caregivers who enabled her to live in the comfort of her own home.With the assistance of these devoted women, her quality of life remained on a plateau that would not otherwise have been possible. The Riccardi family would like to extend special thanks to Lorraine, Sheila, Jackie, Clara, and Joan for the superb care they provided to Tess in her final years. Relatives and friends may call at the Lacerenza Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 8 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, CT on Monday, June 20, 2016 from 4:00-7:00PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 10:30AM at Sacred Heart Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, CT. Interment will follow at St. John's Cemetery, Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers, the family would sincerely appreciate donations in Theresa’s memory to The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org)