Grace Pezzuto Spadafore

Grace Pezzuto Spadafore of Hondo passed away on November 4, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 91.
Grace was born on January 12, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into a large Italian family of 12 children, including herself. Her parents, Antonio and Vincenzina were both Italian immigrants who worked hard to instill a strong work ethic and a strong Catholic faith in their children. Grace told many stories of her days growing up and the hardships they faced. She would talk of walking miles in the snow to and from Catholic School with her siblings and how her mom always had a hot lunch waiting for them each day. She specifically had many stories of her and her two younger sisters, Lucy and Annie. Together they would become "The Three Musketeers"! Grace also mentioned that her mom would always send her down to the basement to work on projects with her Dad and how she would have to sit in the front of her classroom by the teachers revealing the mischievous person she was! Another family story of Grace's involved the many late night card games played over the years with her siblings and their spouses, while the children were up praying the rosary with her mom!
Grace married her Italian sweetheart, Orlando Spadafore, on May 17, 1952. Shortly after they married, they started their family, having 4 children. It can be said that Grace never met a stranger and it could be partly due to the fact that her husband was in the Air Force, which took them to many new places. They eventually moved to Yancey, Texas where they both loved living in the country and started a small peach orchard. Despite all the moving, Grace remained friends with many lovely people she met along the way. It can be said that she never met a stranger! Even though Grace moved from here and there, she was always a proud Philadelphia Eagles fan and let everyone in Texas know it! In the past few years, Grace did have a change of heart at the end and became a Chief's fan all because she fell in love with Patrick Mahomes!
Grace had many loves, and her husband and children came first in that line up, followed by her friends, baking/cooking for others, and crocheting. She was truly amazing at keeping in touch with family and friends and was the proud owner of a rather large Hallmark card collection. She should have bought stock in that company! Surely the U.S. Postal Service had a great economic decline, once her arthritis got to her hands and she had to stop sending out so many cards! During her lifetime, Grace had different job titles due to moving frequently, but her absolute favorite was when she worked as a sheet metal mechanic at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
Once Grace and Orlando retired from Lackland, they decided to move to Hondo and soon became a part of the DQ breakfast club! Grace absolutely loved being part of the breakfast club. She kept things lively there with her laughter and storytelling skills! She also enjoyed her outings with other folks from Medina County going on casino trips, and being a part of the Red Hat Society. No matter where you went, someone knew Grace! She was always ready to head out each day and could be frequently found at Sammy's where she would sit facing the door because she didn't want to miss anyone coming in! She could also be found twice a week exercising at Momentum Physical Therapy in San Antonio with her daughter, Denise, never complaining! She was a true inspiration there to many since she was still working out at the age of 91!
Grace is survived by her four children; Mary Snarr (Chris), Debbie Spadafore, John Spadafore (Marybelle), Denise (Paul) Aelvoet, 9 grandchildren, and many great grandchildren.
Grace is preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Orlando, her parents, Antonio and Vincenzina Pezzuto, and her brothers and sisters and their spouses.
Grace leaves a legacy of love and sacrifice to family and friends. She valued her family, friends, and the Catholic faith. She was truly the glue that kept family together, and she will be missed dearly.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2024 beginning at 9:30AM, to be followed by a Funeral mass celebrating Grace's life at 10:30AM. All services will be held at St. John's Catholic Church in Hondo, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Salvation Army. Mom always said that if it wasn't for The Salvation Army, they wouldn't have had a Christmas!
Visitation will be Saturday, Nov. 9, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, followed by Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Services will conclude at the church.
Guinn-Horger