Eleanor LoCricchio's Obituary
Eleanor LoCricchio (Ella the Great), 96, of Jacksonville, FL was called to her heavenly home on January 3, 2022. Born February 16, 1925, in Detroit, MI she was the daughter of Laura Wuerges and Richard Fleming and sister to six siblings, all who predeceased her. She married Anthony LoCricchio on January 11, 1947, in the Detroit area where they lived until they moved to Florida upon retirement in 1983. They celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary shortly before Tony passed away in 2010.
Ella was a young girl during the Great Depression. She recalled stories of receiving gifts from the Detroit Goodfellows for Christmas. She was always grateful for their generosity and carried the lesson of appreciating what she had throughout her life. One of the original Teamsters, her father drove a wagon and team of horses to make deliveries when she was young, and she helped him take care of the horses in the middle of the city.
Ella began working at the age of 14 at Neisner's where she took photographs and painted color into the black and white photos. She graduated from Western High School in Detroit in 1942. During World War II, she was a true “Rosie the Riveter”. She worked in a factory for 2 years inspecting the threads on screws and bolts for military airplanes. After the war, she met Tony while both worked at Crowley's department store. She worked at Tiger Stadium, where she had many fond memories of attending games with her family and the neighborhood kids. While her kids were growing up, she worked as a cashier at Food Fair.
Ella enjoyed traveling, including a particularly memorable trip to Europe with dear friends, as well as many cruises and summers at Houghton Lake. She was an avid reader and always had a book or crossword puzzle in her hand. Ella was always doing for others and was immensely talented at many creative endeavors. She enjoyed painting ceramics, crocheting, and was a very gifted seamstress. She leaves behind many handmade keepsakes, including blankets, baby clothing, wedding gowns, and dolls. She was so wonderfully creative, and we will always treasure these lasting gifts.
She took great pride in her ever-growing family and enjoyed many special parties, holidays, and celebrations over the years with family and friends. She was often the first to arrive and the last to leave. In recent years, she loved to spoil her great grandchildren with sweets and hugs, just as she did her grandchildren before them. She was the ultimate family matriarch. She was the last of her generation and often marveled at the longevity of her life and the many changes and events she witnessed in her lifetime.
She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church for 32 years. She served on the altar guild and used her gifts to sew confirmation gowns and angel costumes. Her family is grateful to Pastor Dana Brones for his loving ministry to her and the family, particularly in her last days.
Ella is survived by her loving family which includes her children Rick LoCricchio (Marti), Laura Magyar (Rich), Kathy Harcourt (John), her grandchildren Mike & Mylene, Shannon & Vince, Dawn & Steven, Courtney & Charlie, Tony & Tina, Philip & Courtney, & Katrina, her great grandchildren Steven Jr, Isabel, Julianna, Easton, Gabby, Xander, Savannah, Christian, Matthew, Victoria, Makenna & Andrew, and many loving nieces, nephews and friends.
The funeral service will be Saturday, January 15 at 11 am at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville Beach, followed by a luncheon at the church and a celebration of her life at the home of John, Kathy & Katrina Harcourt. She will be interred at the Jacksonville National Cemetery with her husband Tony, a WWII Veteran.
We all adored Ella the Great and are so grateful that she taught us, among other things, how to love and the importance of family. It sustains us as we grieve the loss of her physical presence on earth but celebrate her heavenly reunion with her family and friends who predeceased her. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her memory to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1423 N 8th Ave, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.
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