Loretta Anne Race's Obituary
Loretta Anne Race, 88, of Germantown, Tennessee passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home in Columbia, South Carolina on December 15, 2013.A memorial service will be conducted at 2:30 on Friday, December 20, 2013 at the Memphis Memorial Park Chapel. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services in the Visitation Room. In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to South Carolina Oncology Cares Foundation, 166 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, South Carolina 29210.Loretta was born in Trenton, New Jersey on November 15, 1925 to Italian immigrant parents Mario J. Palmieri and Adelina Brugnoli. Loretta married at a very young age to her dashing U. S. Air Force pilot Melvin C. Race. They shared over 50 years of marriage and were fortunate to be able to travel the world before finding their perfect retirement location in Germantown in 1964 There they became became memorable friends and neighbors and loved their new permanent home. Loretta was very active in bridge groups, military wives groups and was the perfect Air Force Wife. In her early married life, she modeled for department stores and military sponsored functions and in her later years, she was an Estee Lauder cosmetic representative for Goldsmiths. Her other areas of interest and expertise were in flower decorating, interior decoration and yard design.Loretta is survived by her sister, Anne Fisher of Trenton, N.J.; daughter and son-in-law, Paula Race Grookett and Robert A. Grookett, Jr. of Columbia, SC; daughter-in-law, Janice Tucker Race of Cordova, TN; granddaughter Tara A. Ryan and husband Richard P. Ryan of Duluth, GA and granddaughter Jennifer Race of Dallas, TX; grandsons Robert C. Grookett of Columbia, SC and Steven P. Race of Memphis, TN.; and great grandchildren, Colin Patrick Ryan and Caitlin Anne Ryan of Duluth, GA.Loretta was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Charles Race; her son, Charles Gregory Race; infant grandson, Brian Charles Race and brothers, Basil and Ames Palmieri.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”Location: Southwest Abbey
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