Theresa Catherine Polillo Cech

Theresa Catherine Polillo Cech was born in the beautiful mountain village of Spezzano Piccolo, Italy, on Feb. 20, 1929. At the age of five, her mother Filippina DiCicco Pollilo packed up Theresa and her older sister Marietta, boarded the train to Naples, and from there set off by boat to join Filippina's husband Luigi Polillo, who had immigrated to America and then sent for his family. On this great adventure, Theresa hung over the rails of the boat, looking at the curling tops of the waves that looked to her like piglets, calling out "Porcelle! Porcelle!" while her seasick Mother and sister attempted to pull her back from the edge.

The Polillo family settled in Livingston, Montana, where Theresa grew up and attended high school. After graduation, she set off for Spokane to enroll in a comptometer class: the comptometer was the first commercially successful mechanical calculator, and when Theresa returned home, she used it in her work in the business office at the Northern Pacific Railroad. Not long after this, Theresa went to the Livingston branch of Hennessy's Department store to buy window blinds. The tall, handsome young clerk who waited on her was James Cech; while the blinds were actually perfectly acceptable, Theresa kept finding that something was wrong with them which required her to return multiple times to the store to seek James' help in replacing them. They were married on July 26, 1953.

In the early years of their marriage, two marvelous and life-shaping things happened: Jim was promoted to work in the Butte Hennessy's store, and friends invited them to go camping at Seeley Lake. In Butte, Theresa and Jim made wonderful lifelong friends singing in the choir of St. Ann's Catholic Church; at Seeley, they began an annual tradition of camping with family and friends that continues to this day.

In 1976, as the Anaconda Copper Company and the economy of Butte began to falter, Theresa moved to Billings, where Jim finished his career as the regional CFO of Hennessy's. Theresa made friends wherever she went: in Billings, her friendships expanded to include her Bingo buddies, friends from Christian Women's Brunch, and eventually the Wellington Place crew, including Jeanne and Bob Zupan and Betty Stonehouse, with whom she shared walks and jokes and an enmity for the rabbits who ate their flowers and tomatoes. Theresa loved gardening, and her tomatoes were enormous and legendary.

Theresa was famous for her cooking, especially for the Italian treats passed on from her Mother's family – Italian cookies, a uniquely delicious spaghetti sauce that no one has yet duplicated, and polenta among other delicacies. In her final years in Helena, she enjoyed entertaining new friends in the Red Hats group, and sharing food, coffee, and fellowship with her neighbors.

Theresa is mourned by hundreds of friends; by her sons, Michael James (Meg) of Bozeman, Jeffery Lee (Karen) of Helena, and John Edward (Victoria) of Helena; by her grandchildren, Erin (Heidi Sherick), Ryan (Rye), Molly (Eric Leidinger), Eric (Jennie Berry), Amanda, and Isaiah; by her great-grandson Summit; dear nieces and nephews including Connie (Mike) Collins and Tom Ricci; and by "honorary children" William and Carla Quinn of Butte.

Those awaiting her include her husband, James Bernard Cech; her sister and brother-in-law, Marietta and Louie Ricci; and her brother and sister-in-law, Phil and Sharon Polillo.

Theresa died on Nov. 18, 2016, at St. Peter's Hospital in Helena, surrounded by her loving family. The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Thomas Weiner and the staff of St. Peter's oncology unit for their kind and professional care; to her physician Dr. Andrew Gilbert, and to Father Richard Francesco of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Helena.

The family with receive friends from 3:30 with a vigil service starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20 at St. Mary Catholic Community, 1700 Missoula Avenue. A Funeral Mass will be 12:10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21 at St. Mary Catholic Community with a reception to follow in the fellowship hall of the church. The burial service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23 at Calvary Cemetery in Livingston, MT. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Helena or the charity of your choice. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Theresa.