Horest Joseph Coletta's Obituary
Horest Joseph Coletta, 94, passed away April 10, 2013 at Ave Maria Home. He was born on October 15, 1918 in Viticuso, Italy to Candida and Emil Coletta. He immigrated to the United States at 18 months old. Horest was a prominent restaurateur in Memphis, known for the original Coletta’s Restaurant on South Parkway. In the 1950s, he adopted a non-Southern delicacy, pizza, after sailors at the Millington Navy base asked for it at Coletta’s Restaurant. Memphis and Italy merged in the form of barbecue pizza. In 1956, Horest and his wife, Laverne, started a Coletta’s Restaurant on Summer Avenue. He was an avid golfer and help to organize the first annual Bishop’s Open Golf Tournament to benefit the Diocese of Memphis Catholic Schools. In 1987, UNICO named Horest the Outstanding Italian American of the Year. Horest was also the recipient to the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Laverne Mary Cavasino; daughter, Marilyn DiScenza (Edward); sons, Vincent (Mary) and Jerry (Diane); eleven grandchildren; and nineteen great-grandchildren. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m., Sunday, April 14 at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Monday, April 15 at Church of the Holy Spirit. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. The family requests memorials be sent to the Ave Maria Home, 2805 Charles Bryan Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Memorial Park Funeal Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”.
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