Viola Zarrella Fazio, 92, of Winter Park, Florida, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2024. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late James and Filomena Zarrella. She is predeceased by her beloved husband of 69 years, Charles Peter Fazio, “Chuck”.
She is survived by four children: Rena Williams (Joseph), Charles J. Fazio (Ricki), Vicki Emery (Stephen), and Peter Fazio (Terri). She has nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
She was a graduate of Brockton High School, and attended The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She was a vocalist at several nightclubs in Boston and Canada, where she always traveled with her mother or one of her girlfriends as a chaperone.
When she first met her husband Chuck on Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts, she was not impressed. Chuck was wearing socks and shoes and had boldly “plopped down uninvited” on her beach blanket which she was sharing with her sister Rita. Unknown to Viola, after meeting Viola for the first time, Chuck announced to his family that he was going to marry her. Chuck’s determination and persistence won her over, and they married on November 8, 1953, and went on to share 69 spectacular years together.
Despite having a husband, four children, and a household to manage, she had an entrepreneurial spirit like her father. While living in Hull, Massachusetts where the family was based, she taught piano and voice lessons from her home piano studio. After relocating to Florida in 1972, she launched “Vi’s Pies,” selling pies, cakes and cookies to several local restaurants. Her brother Al made her a custom cookie mold so that her jumbo chocolate chips cookies would come out of the oven a uniform size. Her next venture was in real estate, working as a broker alongside her husband, Chuck, who founded Radmar Realty in Winter Park, Florida. Together, they successfully helped many buyers find their “forever homes.”
She was an amazing wife, mother, and grandmother. Family was everything to Viola, and she had a gift of making everyone feel loved – just like family. She held many special gatherings and parties for family and friends, but her Christmas Eve open house was by far her favorite. Everyone not only remembered her fabulous food, but also the warmth and laughter in every corner of her home.
Viola was always “the belle of the ball” at whatever function she attended. Chuck always said she was “the most beautiful woman in the room.” And it was true, both inside and out. Viola will be greatly missed by all.