Concetta "Connie" DeCaro

Concetta (Grillo) DeCaro, age 94, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister, died peacefully in her home on February 20, 2019.

Concetta “Connie” was born in the town of Taverna in the Calabria region of Italy on March 5, 1924 to Peter and Carmela (Cosentino) Grillo.  She immigrated to Worcester with her mother at the age of eight, where she lived and worked for her entire life.

Family was at the center of everything Connie did, and she was truly our matriarch.  She was a loving and generous mother to two children, Elaine Palumbo and her husband Mike of Sturbridge, and Robert “Bobby” DeCaro and his wife MaryEllen of Millbury, and cherished grandmother to five grandchildren:  Tina Durand and her husband Jon, Amy LeClaire and her husband Jim, Gina DeCaro Alano and her husband Jamie, Peter DeCaro and his wife Natalia, and Lisa Karrat and her husband Paul, as well as three great-grandchildren:  Ben, Anthony, and Lucia.  She also leaves her devoted younger siblings, Rose Grillo, Peter Grillo, and Rosario (Riz) Grillo and his wife Mary Grillo, and many nephews and nieces.  She is predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Samuel J. DeCaro, and a brother, Louis Grillo.

Connie was a hard worker who was employed in various positions in Worcester over the years, most notably at Ray’s Pharmacy in Grafton Hill, but people and relationships were what mattered the most to her.  Though small in stature, her impact on those around her was large.  Drawing people in with her soft blue eyes, she had a wonderful ability to engage in a charming conversation with anyone.  Whether visiting long-time friends in Worcester, attending one of her grandchildren’s birthday parties, chatting with people in the grocery store, or listening to 40’s music in her most favorite place- the three-family home she was so proud to own- her warmth, empathy, humor, graciousness, and wisdom touched us all.  She will be greatly missed but never forgotten, and she will live in our hearts forever.

Calling Hours will be on Tuesday, February 26, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. in MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation Street, Worcester.  Her Funeral Service will begin at 11 a.m. in the funeral home.  She will be entombed with her husband at Saint John’s Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her memory to the charity of your choice.