Mollye Miller Fiorucci, 100, of Beaumont, died Monday, October 6, 2008 at Christus Hospital St. Elizabeth in Beaumont. She was born on September 18, 1908 in Providence, Rhode Island.
“Miss Mollye” as she was known to all, was the youngest of three siblings and two half-sisters and a brother. When she was two years old, her mother, Annie Israel died and Baltimore, Maryland became her home with her father and step-mother. At age fourteen, her father Jacob Israel died and she then lived with her half-sister, Mary and her family.
Always a positive and determined young lady, she left school at age fourteen to venture into the workplace to help support herself, working as a salesgirl in a large department store in Baltimore. She married George Arthur Miller in 1927, converting to Catholicism and raising their only child, Mary Jane, with a solid education in Catholic schools. Music was ever present in her household as she sang the favorite tunes of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. This happiness that she sang about, especially the song “My Blue Heaven” seemed to be her personal theme song. But this wonderful life was cut short by George’s sudden death in 1959. During the 60’s she joined her daughter’s growing family for trips to foreign lands where they lived in Saudi Arabia and Bolivia, and sailed across the Atlantic from Italy with them.
In 1970, she married widower, Oliver Fiorucci, a long time neighbor and they embarked on a new and fulfilling life as retirees in Florida. They were founding members of the large Italian-American Club in New Port Richey which featured dinner and dancing each Friday night. Oliver introduced Mollye to his Italian relatives in Northern Italy and they spent many days touring the country. Mollye was also proud of the Italian food she learned to prepare from Oliver and his daughters.
After Oliver’s death in 1993, Mollye moved to Beaumont to spend her remaining years with her daughter, Mary Jane Buttrill and husband Carrol but always retained her independence which was of utmost importance to her. She became a St. Elizabeth Hospital volunteer and spent fourteen years talking with and delivering menus to patients with her cheerful personality. She also served meals with St. Anne Ladies at Some Other Place for fourteen years until a few days before the onset of her illness in June, 2008. She will always be remembered for her will to overcome adversity, her cheerfulness and laughter, her strong faith and love of people.
She is survived by her loving daughter, Mary Jane Buttrill; grandchildren and spouses, Mary Belle Reese and Grady, George A. Damm and Teresa, John C. Damm and Lauren, Carol A. Damm and Michael Jerosch-Herald, JoEllen Ritchie and Lee, Neal, spouse of the late Ruth Joslyn; and fourteen great-grandchildren.
From her second marriage she is survived by step daughters, Elisa China and Primo and Velia Saverino; five step-grandchildren; eight step great-grandchildren; and one step great-great grandchild.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 10, 2008 at St. Anne Catholic Church under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive. A Christian Vigil will be 6:00 p.m. Thursday, October 9, 2008 at the Mortuary. Burial will be in New Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland at a later date.
Mollye’s family wishes to thank her tireless caregivers, Dory Cruz, Margaret Moore, Earnestine Smith and Wanda Johnson for their loving and gentle care these past four months and during these trying times of two hurricane evacuations, and for making her 100th birthday celebration away from home a possibility.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Anne Catholic Church, P.O. Box 3429, Beaumont, Texas 77704 or to Some Other Place, 1240 McFaddin, Beaumont, Texas 77701.
