Mrs. Claire Tucei Breal, age 86, of Biloxi, MS, passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2017, in Biloxi. Born to Joseph and Nancy Parillo Tucei, she was a lifelong resident of Biloxi and a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
Mrs. Breal graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in 1948 and was a member of the all-girls Kiltie Band. She worked for J.C. Penney Co. in Biloxi as a bookkeeper for 41 years and retired in 1997. She was also a member of the Golden Age Club, the Tripoli Club, the Senior Circle Club, and the Biloxi Professional Women’s Club. She enjoyed traveling after her retirement and was a lifelong sports fan, dutifully recording the scores of her favorite teams in a notebook.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd L. Breal, Jr.; two brothers, Joseph B. Tucei, Jr. and Harry Tucei; and four sisters, Lillie Dick, Alma Cook, Valmae Howarth, and Inez Taylor.
She is survived by her two sons, Joseph L. Breal, Sr., of Biloxi, MS and Gregory P. Breal, Sr. (Kay), of Gautier, MS; five grandchildren, Jordan Breal, of Austin, TX, Joséph L. Breal, Jr., of Fort Worth, TX, Matthias Breal, of Denton, TX, Gregory P. Breal, Jr., of Nashville, TN, and Hannah Breal, of Columbia, SC; her brother Fred Tucei, of Gautier, MS; and numerous nieces and nephews.
With deepest gratitude, the family would like to acknowledge the staff and community at Bay Cove Assisted Living for extending their friendship and kindness to Claire. The family would also like to thank Dr. Yashashree Bethala, the fifth-floor nursing staff of Merit Health Biloxi, and the caretakers from Salus Home Care and Southern Care Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to St. Vincent de Paul, 2090 Pass Rd., Biloxi, MS, 39531.
Friends are invited to visit on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12:15 p.m. all at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.