Grazzietta ‘Grace’ Ferrante: Office worker at Fairbanks Lumber

May 8, 2024 at 10:42 p.m.

Grazzietta “Grace” Ferrante, 83, of Rye Brook, died May 3, 2024.

She was born Apr. 26, 1941 in the South Bronx, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, to Vito and Antonia Barberi, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy alongside most of the people from their small town of Buccheri, Sicily.

She was a 1958 graduate of Walton High School and went on to work at Book-of-the-Month Club in Manhattan; each day, she’d venture on the subway and get off at 14th Street.

The summer after high school graduation, she met the love of her life, Mario Ferrante, at an Italian feast on Bronxwood Avenue. She and her devoted husband dated for five years, a time they spent preparing for family to come over from Italy. They were finally married on May 25, 1963; Grace always wondered why it took him so long to pop the question.

They enjoyed a beautiful life together, first on Duryea Avenue in Mount Vernon, where all their children were born; then, in 1979, they moved to Rye Brook to get away from the big city.

Alongside her husband, she worked at the family business, Fairbanks Lumber, doing office work until she couldn’t.

In addition to her husband, she leaves behind her cherished children, Marie Scappatura (Salvatore), Mario Ferrante (Andrea) and Marco Ferrante (Stacey); loving grandchildren Salvatore, Sabrina (Johnny), Sofia, Brandon, Miranda, Matthew and Christopher, as well as many other beloved family members and friends.

For 30 years, Grace and Mario traveled to Aruba, her “happy place,” where they made beautiful, lifelong friendships.

Grace, who had the warmest heart and a generous nature, loved her slot machines, shopping and, of course, her sweets.

One of her great joys was cheering on her children and grandchildren at sporting events and extracurriculars. Sunday dinners, meatballs, celebrating and gathering were staples; she lived for her family.

A Funeral Mass was held May 8 at St. Paul RC Church in Greenwich, followed by entombment at Woodlawn Cemetery.