Faustina Tesei (Age 97), a resident of Greenwich, CT for 74 years died peacefully at Greenwich Hospital on March 14, 2019 surrounded by her family. Faustina was a retired insurance and real estate brokerage company owner in Greenwich and a former member of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting. She was pre-deceased by her husband James Tesei and her first born son James Tesei, Jr. She is survived by her daughter Deborah Tesei Bronstein and Deborah’s husband Dan and her son John P. Tesei and John’s wife Michele, as well as her grandchildren Chelsea Bronstein, Brett Tesei Finch, Alyssa Tesei Skirkanich, Mackenzie Tesei, and Evan Tesei, great-grandchildren Rory Skirkanich, John P. Skirkanich and Camille Finch and many, many loving nephews and nieces.
Faustina, throughout her life was a pillar of strength in the Tesei family in Greenwich and to her dying day a person who expressed concern and unwavering love for all the family members who visited her during her last days on this earth. Everyone that she touched in her life is a better person for it and has many, many fond memories to look back on. She was an accomplished chef, who passionately hosted the Tesei family Christmas Eve Dinner party for decades with a feast never to be forgotten. She loved a good joke, enjoyed conversations with everyone at all levels (a staunch Republican – she did “Like Ike”) and did not mind a few cocktails to keep those conversations going. She was an unwavering METS fan – she had her favorite players and was quick to tell you why others were not. That was Faustina; she did have an opinion about EVERYTHING; and that opinion did not change often despite the best efforts of everyone who dared to engage her.
Faustina grew up during the Depression; she did not have an easy early life at all; she tragically lost her mother at a very young age. But, she always spoke lovingly and appreciatively of her father Rocco who gently guided her during her formative years to be the giving and thoughtful person she was her entire life. Faustina was a person bound and determined to make sure that her children did indeed have a better life. She succeeded by sacrificing so much and unfailingly believing that the American Dream was for all who worked hard and respected people to achieve.
A Good Person is now so deservingly with her God.
A wake was held Saturday, March 16 at Castiglione Funeral Home, with a Catholic Memorial Service after.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that family and friends make donations to Maria’s Garden at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Please make your donations payable to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital Fund, IMO Faustina Tesei, and mail to Westchester Medical Center Foundation, 100 Woods Rd., Taylor Pavilion Ste C-3, Valhalla, NY 10595.
