GraceAnn Messineo Matriarch, Beloved wife, devoted mother, and caring friend to all Grace Messineo (nee Scarano), 72, of Fairfield, N.J., slipped away from her earthly bonds the afternoon of Nov. 5, 2016. A memorial gathering to celebrate Grace's life is planned for Thursday, Nov. 10, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Caggiano Memorial Funeral Home, 62 Grove St., Montclair, N.J. More detailed information can be found at caggianomemorial.com. With roots in Montclair, N.J., GraceAnn was pre-deceased by two sisters, Maryanne and Katherine, and a brother, Anthony. A graduate of Montclair High, GraceAnn worked at JJ Newbury, the American five-and-dime store in Cedar Grove, N.J., in the accounting department until settling down with the man of her dreams. Joe and GraceAnn bought a house in Fairfield, N.J., and after conquering the careers of wife and mother, Grace decided she needed another challenge. She took a job at T-Fal in Fairfield, where she became an indispensable part of the customer service team for nearly two decades. After retiring, GraceAnn and Joe would travel the world with their family and friends. She loved cruises and had the pleasure of sailing off to many ports of call from the Caribbean, Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. A lover of angels and a protector of family, Grace lived the adage "treat others as you wish to be treated" and impressed upon her sons and grandson that "Family is everything, everything else is everything else." Heaven grew a lot brighter as it gained an Angel and the earth certainly grew a lot dimmer, but Grace will watch over her loving husband, Joseph Messineo; sons Joseph, Frankie, and Marc; grandsons, Daniel and Noah; daughters-in-law, Lauren and Deanne; sons-in-law, Glenn and Jimmy, and the rest of the family, Dianne and Karen, Susanne and Amy, Antoinette, Maryanne, Nancy, Steve, and Carolyn. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the American Cancer Society .