George F. Grasso

George F. Grasso was an amazing man. His love for his wife, Rosalie, his four children, George, Vincent, John and Lisa and his nine grandchildren, George (Mariam), Joseph (Brianne), Michael, Thomas, Christopher, Emily (Arif), Renee, Gillian (Kevin) and Sean, and his three great-grandchildren Daniel, Noelle and Baby Georgie had no bounds. He was a wonderful, kind and loving Father-in-Law to Regina, Elizabeth, Sheila and Brendan. He was the head of the Grasso family.

George was born on October 2nd,1929 in Brooklyn, New York. His father Angelo and his mother Maria had both immigrated to America from Italy in 1921. Angelo was born in the Basilicata region of Italy, and Maria was born in the Avellino region. At about 20 years old he was drafted into the Italian army during World War I, where he fought in the trenches. He returned to his home at the conclusion of the war, and within a few years immigrated to the United States, where he met Maria in Brooklyn. They married shortly thereafter, and went on to have six children, with George being the third.

George was very proud of his Brooklyn roots and spent most of his formative years living at 500 Chauncey Street in the East New York neighborhood. He attended Franklin K. Lane High School and graduated in 1947. Like his father, he was known to be a very hard worker. Starting in his adolescence, he took jobs as a delivery boy for a local florist, worked at an ice cream factory and eventually became an apprentice to a local printer. 

Also like his father, he found himself drafted into the army at 20 years old, at the height of the Korean war. As it turned out, his very strong work ethic likely saved his life. Due to his experience as an apprentice printer, instead of being sent to the frontline of the war (like most of his fellow draftees) he ended up being sent to serve in Austria, as the U.S Army needed printers there. He later found out that most of the draftees he was in boot camp with (and who were sent to Korea) did not survive the war. George excelled as a printer and was eventually promoted to Sergeant.

George had always been a good student and was always interested in obtaining a higher education. As such, after he returned from the war he applied to and was accepted into NYU tuition-free through the GI Bill. Also at that time he moved back in with his family, who now had a house in Hollis, Queens. At the same time his mother was working full time as a seamstress, in what is now commonly known as a sweatshop. Seeing how hard his mother was working, George decided not to continue at NYU, and instead accepted a job as a full-time pressman in a print shop, so he would be better able to help support his family. 

It was also during this time that George found romance. In July of 1956 he met the love of his life, a beautiful brunette named Rosalie, while on a week-end holiday in Canada at the St Adele’s Lodge in the Laurentian Mountains, about 2 hours from Montreal. The hot song of the summer of '56 was Canadian Sunset and love was in the air. They met on a Friday evening and on Sunday, George asked Rosalie, if she "would be the mother of his children”. She immediately said yes, and they were married at George's father Angelo's house in Hollis, Queens on October 27th, 1956. They went on to have four children.

George embraced his role as a husband and a father. He lived for his family, and his wife was the center of his universe. He supported his family his entire working life with his skills as a printer. When he passed on April 13th, 2025, he was surrounded by each of his four children, who were praying over him. He literally took his last breath as they concluded their prayers.