Vita Chirco, 93, passes away

DOWNEY - Vita Maltese Chirco, 93, passed away March 3 at her home in Downey surrounded by family. She was born Feb. 20, 1920 in Sicily, Italy to Salvatore Maltese and Fara Pellerito. She had two brothers and one sister.

She married Michele Chirco in 1947 and they had three sons, Anthony, Salvatore and Giuseppe. They came to the United States by boat in 1960, a voyage that lasted two weeks, bringing only the items they could fit into a medium sized green trunk.

When they arrived in New York on April 7, 1962, they were received by several members of the Chirco and Lo Chirco family, who took them to Detroit for a short period before they traveled to California.

Her husband began work at a roofing factory in South Gate and she as a seamstress at a factory. She is survived by two sons, Anthony and Giuseppe Chirco; daughters-in-law Mayra, Marina and Fara; 13 grandchildren; one great-granddaughter and six great-grandsons.

She was predeceased by a son, Salvatore, in 2003.

Services will be held Saturday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, with interment at Rose Hills.

********** Published: March 7, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 47