Joseph Grieco, 82, longtime Oyster Bay Cove resident and veteran Church and community activist, died Sept. 20 at Lake Placid near his summer home after a long illness.
Mr. Grieco, husband of Dolores Grieco, former Oyster Bay-East Norwich School Board member, belonged to the pastoral council and was a lector and special minister of Holy Communion at St. Dominic’s. His duties included taking Communion to homebound people.
For many years he and his wife were volunteer hospital ministers at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola. He also served as treasurer of the St. Joseph’s Prayer Center in Patchogue.
Msgr. Ramualdo Sosing, former associate pastor of St. Dominic’s, in his homily at the Sept. 25 funeral at St. Dominic’s Church, noted Mr. Grieco’s dedication to his faith, devotion to his family and friends, and his love of laughter.
A native of Valley Stream, Mr. Grieco served in the U.S. Army during World War II, stationed with occupation forces in Austria following Germany’s surrender. After the war, he graduated from Ohio State University and became a salesman at Park Inn Ford in Valley Stream.
He worked for more than a half-century at Park Inn. He won numerous salesmanship awards and was noted for honesty, loyalty, friendliness, and humor.
Mr. Grieco married the former Dolores Catena at St. Clare’s Church in Rosedale, Queens. They later moved to Oyster Bay Cove. In 2003 the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party in Saranac Lake, N.Y.
In addition to his involvement with the parish, Mr. Grieco was active in the American Legion here. He also enjoyed boating and fishing here and at his summer home.
Besides his wife, Mr. Grieco is survived by: three daughters: Susan of Armonk, N.Y., Mary Sheehan of Mill Neck and Anne Crawford of Wendover, Utah; sons Greg of Saratoga Springs and Edward of Lawrenceville, Georgia; sister Joan Smith of Valley Stream; and 11 grandchildren, one great-grandchild in utero, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Burial followed at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. The family asked that material tributes take the form of donations to the St. Joseph’s Prayer Center, 312 Maple Ave., Patchogue, NY 11772 or the Quentin Roosevelt Post of the American Legion, P.O. Box 411, Oyster Bay, N.Y. 11771.
