Condolence: So sorry to hear about the passing of Grace. She was an awesome "Mom" to all of us. I enjoyed her sense of humor most of all and loved the times my sister, Mary, took me with her to the Szucs house. Great times!!! Rest in peace, Grace especially now that you are back with all your departed family members. Love, Barbara

Condolence: Kevin, God love you. You made your Mom very proud with what you wrote yesterday. It was only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Grace but it was
beautiful. She let ALL of us get away with murder!!!!

Love, Mary

Condolence: I have heard it said that when a Grandmother dies, it's like a library burning down.. Sadly, due to the effects of dementia and alzheimers, my Grama's library door closed many years ago..However, due to her passing, the doors of memory have been thrown open for me..I am reminded of so many things..Just know that if you love me, it's in large part to my Grams. She was everything to me, I emulated her and always wished I could be half the person she was. Her kindness, generosity, warmth, selfishlessness, humour, etc etc was something I saw as a kid and knew were traits to be lauded..Words are a disservice to her, But, I am trying...I keep saying that it's as if a celebrity has passed away..I want to see her name on the CNN crawl.. She was so much, to so many! Mom, sister, "lady friend"(A term from her generation I adore) neighbor.."stranger" a term my Grama redefined.. She made friends with a random woman walking by in a rainstorm years ago and formed a bond with her that garnered an addition to her phone book as (I paraphrase)"lady on next block in need of an umbrella" I used to love walking with her to play her pick its knowing the people at the store would live for her coming in! She brought her light everywhere she went... The world is certainly a different place without her spirit in it..She was truly one of a kind!! She instilled in us so many things.. Most importantly was a love for ALL people.. She once told me a story that rang so clear to me as the type of woman she was.. Her sister died very young, but before she passed away she was in desperate in need of blood donations,(remember this was in the early 1960s) and she always told us that everyone on Earth was the same and in fact sometimes those that are supposed to be "different" than us in her case her black co workers at the Revlon factory who were the only ones to donate blood to her sister..She would say "they didn't donate blood to my sister because they were black, it's cause they were good people who kept her alive" It's life lessons like that that she made sure I knew about to face this crazy world.. Another thing was her recipe for sauce.. rather simple really but at a very young age I asked her, it's like a right of passage..She showed me.. I copied it STEP for step and it tasted nothing like hers.. I accused her of magic.. She didn't argue...She is/was magic...In fact what she made with just a potato and an egg is legendary!!! It's hard to talk about her in the past tense..She will always be with me because so much of me IS her... From my musical tastes to my movie and TV selections.. One of my favorite memories was watching Golden Girls(as a new series) with her Saturday nights, a few hours before the family card game she hosted in her kitchen for decades! When I was a kid she told me that Judy Garland was her favorite singer and I became obsessed(foreshadowing) and of course nobody who knew her could forget her undying devotion to her Cousin Tony Bennett! They are related through their mothers and my Grams would tell everryone who half gave a sh*t.. Oh yeah, speaking of sh*t,.. My sweet little Italian Grama had the most amazing streak of dirtieness and baudy humor..She was very well rounded because she also had the sweetest most gentle side to her that drew EVERYONE in.. Ask literally anyone who ever came into contact with her, from "Bob, the Mailman".. to "The PSE&G Guy" Danny "the other mail man"these guys were literally madly in love with her and would take unauthorized breaks for coffee at my Grama's table simple because she insisted they did.. I could write a book and something tells me I will be in the next few days but I need to close this by giving major shout outs to my Aunts Andrea and Barbara, my father Kevin and my cousins Jon and Jimmy, and the Pauls who all helped give my beloved Grama the last years of her life she deserved with dignity and in the comfort of her own home like she always wished and prayed for..Now you are with Mommy and the rest of your kids and grandson..Now you are with your beloved sisters and brother..Now you are with "Mama" who in your state of dementia, you called for more than anyone..It's been a long road these past years and as sad as they were I do not want them to cloud all the MANY happy years before filled with family, friends, food, music, dancing, laughing, togetherness and all around good times.. Thank you Grama for everything you did for me and for guiding me all the rest of my days.. You have left me with a treasure of a handbook.. I only wish to be half the human being you were to to impact the world in a way such as you did!! I am a better person being born as your Grandson..

Condolence: The day I met my best friend Esther, I also met my "second" Mom and that was Grace Szucs. I can't even begin to write all the memories and wonderful times and most of all, the laughter, we shared! My heart broke the day that Esther died and I've never gotten over it. My thoughts are with all of you and of all the days I spent in Garfield with each of you. It was the happiest time of my life. Grace, rest in peace but keep on smiling and when you see Esther give her a big hug for me. Maybe in Heaven you'll finally be able to find out "WHO ATE THE SALAMI?!"
Love, Mary
P.S. And tell Andrew I said, P,Q,X,G,Y,J, ETC.!