Americo Ceci

Americo Ceci, age 90 of North Providence, formerly of Providence, passed into eternal rest on February 2nd after a very brief illness with his family by his side. Known to family and friends as "Rico," he was the husband of Stella (Petrarca) Ceci for 64 years. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Ercole and Almerinda (Lutrario) Ceci. Rico worked as a civil engineer for the State of Rhode Island and was an Army Veteran of the Korean War.    Throughout his life, Rico had numerous hobbies, which he loved to share with his family. A visit with Rico was never complete without getting a tour of his garden (and often leaving with bags full of tomatoes or basil). In his later years, he kept an aero-garden. He loved to keep his family updated on the plant growth, and everyone went home with fresh herbs. He was also an avid puzzle-maker, especially in his later years. With each completed 1,000 piece puzzle, Rico would glue the finished product on a board to give away to family and friends. Oftentimes, he made a puzzle with a certain loved one in mind. At Christmastime, his puzzle production sped up even more so that his daughter, Ann, could give each of her kindergarten students a completed puzzle board as a gift. Rico loved to spend his time in the kitchen. He loved to experiment with homemade mustard recipes, and was also known to make herbed butter with his own garden herbs. But what Rico enjoyed most was sharing and giving away his concoctions to loved ones. Besides his wife he leaves his three daughters, Ann Hafez and her husband Walid, Diane Dias and her husband Jim and Christine Hughes and her husband Bill. Rico adored his grandchildren, Emily and Kevin Dias, and Billy and Marisa Hughes, and nothing made him happier than when they came to visit and share some root beer. He is also survived by his brother Peter Ceci and his wife Dorothy of North Providence, and his brother Henry Ceci and his wife Rose Marie of Thousand Oaks, California. He was the brother of the late Susan Ceci and Anna Atkins. Visitation will be held Wednesday, February 7 from 4-7 p.m at the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith Street, North Providence. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Agnes Church, 100 Chatham St., Providence. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rico's memory may be made to My Brother's Keeper, PO Box 338, Easton, MA 02356.