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Grace Piscatelli

Grace (Hills) Piscatelli, 93, a longtime resident of Guilford, passed away on Aug. 22, 2024, surrounded by family at Artis Senior Living. Grace was born in 1931 in Guilford, daughter of the late Mr. Henry E. Hills and Mrs. Edith (Cook) Hills. She graduated from Guilford High School in 1949, where she met the love of her life, Raymond J. Piscatelli.

Grace and Ray eloped in April of their senior year. When they returned to school, they were told they couldn’t graduate because they were married. Classmates pled their case and won. After graduating, Grace and Ray moved into their first home, built by Ray using a prototype he created in shop class. Grace spent many years taking care of her family. Clothes hardly made it to the hamper before she had them washed and folded. She was there with a cold drink, lunch, and dinner for Ray as he kept busy fixing, building, and repairing things for their family. She prepared big Thanksgiving dinners, complete with stuffed artichokes and a directive for everyone to eat slowly.

After her children were grown, Grace spent time working at a daycare and later as a job coach for special needs students at Guilford High School. She was an avid reader, a longtime member of North Guilford Homemakers, and a more than 50-year member of the Aida Kitteridge Order of King’s Daughters. She helped wrap Christmas presents at the VA, peel peaches for peach shortcake at the North Guilford Church country fair, and was a member of the Nettles Island, Florida, quilting group. Grace and Ray spent countless hours renovating an old house in their 60s, and she was always happy to see her family when they came to visit.

Grace was predeceased by her husband, Ray, in May 2024. Grace is survived by her sister Susan (Todd Sunderland) Lanfare; her four children, Linda (Enzo) Cappiello, Stephen Piscatelli, Pamela (Cliff) Johnson, and Melanie Piscatelli; her four grandchildren, Megin (Jeff) Cramer, Eliot (Amber) Smith, Ryan (Alexandra) Johnson and Christopher (Amanda) Johnson; and 10 great-grandchildren: Acacia Smith, Jedediah Smith, Nathan Cramer, Jacob Cramer, Hannah Cramer, Maya Cramer, Isabella Cramer, Liv Johnson, Grant Johnson, and Camden Johnson, in addition to many nieces and nephews.

Burial services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Guilford Interfaith Housing, 310 State Street, Suite # 200, Guilford, CT 06437; www.guilfordfoundation.org/donate. Arrangements in care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, please visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.