Lucille DeNicola

Lucille DeNicola, a long-time resident of Gulfport, died Saturday the 25th of June at the Claiborne Assisted Living Retirement Community in Hattiesburg, MS. Born in 1918 in Chicago, IL, Lucille married Joe DeNicola in 1939. In 1951 they and their four children, Mary Jo, Jimmy, Anita and Paul, relocated to Gulfport, MS. where Joe was raised. Lucille was a full-time homemaker. When the youngest children neared school age Lucille began working at The Mack Smith Garment Plant on 28th St. A few years later she started a bookkeeping career at the Marvin and Henry Fortner Office Supply Company. She then worked at Sam Maxwell's Office Supply and the Gulfport branch of The Office Supply Company of Jackson. She retired in 1985. The most important things in her life were her Catholic faith and her family. She devoted the majority of her time to her immediate family, always ensuring that they were loved and cared for. A special joy for her was spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also enjoyed visiting relatives in Chicago, crocheting, knitting and square dancing. Later in life her longevity and demeanor inspired those who came into contact with her. Always the one to simplify things, she quickly decided if she could do anything about the challenges of life that presented themselves to her and, if so, she set about immediately to solve them. Otherwise, she quickly set them aside. After 57 years of marriage Joe passed away in 1996. A few years later Lucille relocated to Niceville, FL where Mary Jo and her husband Jim were living. In 2007 she made another move to the property of Jimmy and his wife Pat in Bonifay, FL. Seven years later she relocated to the Hattiesburg area where Anita and her husband Larry live. Lucille is survived by Jimmy, Anita and Paul as well as ten grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Mary Jo predeceased her. A visitation will be held on Saturday, July 9th from 2 pm to 3 pm at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, 1726-15th. St., Gulfport. Her burial will follow immediately afterward next to Joe in Evergreen Gardens Cemetery on 28th St. in Gulfport. Casual dress is requested by the family View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com