Patsy Frances Croce

Patsy Frances Croce, age 78, passed away peacefully November 8, 2021 surrounded by love.  She was born March 17, 1943 in Madisonville, Kentucky to Oma "Hilda" Wilson. She married the love of her life, Carmine "Buddy" Croce in September of 1960 who preceded her home in 2015.

Our mother danced in the rain. With bare feet and reckless abandon, our little eyes watching, she twirled and ran and sang. Skin and hair soaked, clothes clinging, and a smile so broad and pure you would catch your breath if you looked too long. Our mother played music too loud. Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, Joni Mitchell and the Eagles became the soundtrack to our youth. Our mother told inappropriate jokes and sang raunchy limericks to ears far too young to understand with lyrics that would make a sailor blush. She flirted mercilessly and turned every man's head while seeming not to notice. She was terrible with directions and would pretend getting lost was a safari. Our mother loved us and our father with every inch of herself. She loved us "warts and all" as she would say. She was a fierce Cherokee warrior in her children's defense. She was a beauty queen from Kentucky who got swept away to Queens by the man she loved at only 17 and worked hard to raise 5 children while our father worked multiple jobs. She was tough and she was light. Having beaten cancer twice, against all odds, our mother knew life was short so she ate dessert first, literally. Our mother lived with a strength and boldness that was infectious. She was the strongest woman we could ever know and taught us to be strong, and to love hard when it was easy and ever harder when it wasn't. She loved everyone she met and everyone loved her. Our mother is dancing in the rain.

Patsy is survived by her brother-in-love Frank Croce, her sister-in-love Mary Jaconetti and husband Tony Jaconetti, her sister-in-love Nancy Croce sister-in-love, Carol Craig; her five children Kacey Hall, Tony Croce, Tricia Croce Fazzari and husband Mike Fazzari, John Croce and wife Kris Croce, Carolyn Pierannunzi and husband Nicholas Pierannunzi; grandchildren, Tony Robinson and wife Crystal Robinson, Hunter von Bechmann and wife Jess von Bechmann, Cody Thurman and partner Jascie Gish, Tia Croce, Cara Tackett and husband Casey Tackett, Christopher Seiferlein, Courtney Seiferlein and partner Michael Meyers, Drew Melton and partner Ashe Madden, Cullen Mills, Aidan Cummings, Allie Al Smadi and husband Orwa Al Smadi, Julia Pierannunzi, Sophia Pierannunzi Lebron and husband Joe LeBron, Zach Pierannunzi, Grace Pierannunzi, and Oliver Pierannunzi; plus 13 great grandchildren, Jordan, Bruce, Paisley, Cali, Charlotte, Journey, Hudson, Kingsley, Carmine, Gianluca, Juni, Rafi, and  Maren as well as many cousins and her nieces. All of these she loved and touched deeply.

Please join us in celebrating her life Friday Evening, November 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for visitation, funeral service Saturday morning November 13, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Palmetto Funeral Home 2049 Carolina Place drive, Fort Mill SC 29708. Followed by a graveside service Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. at Crown Memorial Park Cemetery, 9620 Rodney Street, Pineville, NC 28134. If preferred in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the MS Association of America or for dementia with the Alzheimer's Association.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:24