Yolanda Moccia

One hundred years of living is a remarkable achievement!
Yolanda was born at home in Cos Cob to Luigi and Carmena Curcio on November 28, 1923, joining her older sister Theresa Powell and brother David Curcio and later was big sister to her brother, Anthony.
Like other families of the Depression, they lived simply, living off the land, raising chickens and pigs, growing vegetables and fruits. She was raised with an ethic of hard work. When old enough, Yolanda was sent out with a basket of “their bounty” to sell. In high school, she cared for an eight year old boy after school along with attending to other household chores. At the same time, she excelled at Greenwich High School graduating with honors and got her high school letter in archery.
Upon graduation she initially worked for two sisters who owned travel, job placement and insurance companies. Then while working for the chief engineer at PETRO, she met her future husband, Theodore “Teddy” Moccia. They married in 1945. She then went to work for Betts and Betts Insurance Company, the beginning of an impressive career in property and casualty insurance with her major client the world’s richest man at the time, oil tanker titan, D.K. Ludwig. Marsh and McLennan bought out Betts and Betts resulting in Yolanda commuting into New York for 30+ years specializing in jumbo accounts such as hospitals and automobile manufacturers.
She was forever indebted to Edwin Betts who fostered an environment that Yolanda thrived in, mentoring and supporting her in achieving additional professional credentials as an insurance broker in the tri state area.
She and Teddy enjoyed vacationing every summer for seven years on Lake Winnisquam, NH, bowling in leagues, and playing cards and croquet with neighbors on Seaside Avenue. Unfortunately, in 1958, she was suddenly widowed at age 35. They had been very involved in St. Mary’s Catholic War Veterans and Auxiliary and the St. Augustine Knights of Columbus who provided unwavering support at that difficult time, but her employment at Betts and Betts was the single most stabilizing factor in her life and that of her 11 year old daughter.

In her first year of retirement, Yolanda devoted herself to caring for her 96-year-old mother. Eventually, she spent free time volunteering at several Stamford elementary schools and to holding officer positions at the local chapter of AARP. She was a season ticket holder for the Westport Playhouse and Curtain Call. She finally had time for Arts and Crafts at St. Gabriel’s and for playing cards there. Her favorite outing was going to the casinos to play the slots.
She was a rabid UCONN girls and boys basketball and Yankees fan…and followed tennis too. She liked traveling around the United States often combining visits to family with other tourist destinations. She made many trips to Europe that always included stays in Rome with Teddy’s brother, who never came to the USA, and his family.
She loved her annual trips to Washington State to celebrate the Christmas holidays, carrying on Italian and family traditions—making pizzelles and homemade meatballs, all-fish Christmas Eve dinner, and doing over 40 annual Christmas themed jigsaw puzzles that were framed on completion.
Her interests evolved over time depending on the interests of her grandson. His interests became her interests so that they would have much to discuss on their frequent phone calls and visits.
With her daughter’s involvement in local government, she often would report back on Stamford governance and became well versed on national issues ready to discuss at any opportunity. Like many centenarians, every night she watched Jeopardy while savoring five Hershey’s kisses.
Yolanda was a 44-year breast cancer survivor. She leaves her daughter, Rosemarie Ives, former mayor of Redmond, Washington and her husband, Jonathan of Redmond and Block Island, Rhode Island, and her grandson, Gregory of San Diego, California. In addition, she is survived by nieces Carmella Budkins and her husband John, Donna Horton, Debbie Shoulars and Beatrice Bergquist, nephews Rino Moccia and Rocco Powell, great nieces and nephews, and the children of her Siciliano cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Gabriel Church, 914 Newfield Avenue, on Thursday, September 26th at 10:30AM. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, North Street, Greenwich.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Wheel It Forward, 48 Union Street, Stamford, CT 06906.
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