Posted on: Tuesday, July 10, 2001
Concetta Riccio, garden club pioneer, dead at 79
By Shayna Coleon
Advertiser Staff Writer
Local garden club pioneer and environmental enthusiast Concetta J. Riccio, 79, of Mililani, died June 1 after a five-year battle with lung cancer.
Family and friends described her as someone who "was an excellent mentor and one of the best leaders" through her garden work with the community.
Born in 1922 in Rhode Island, Riccio moved to O'ahu with her husband and children in 1963.
For 27 years, she was involved with tree-planting projects as the vice president of the Hawai'i Federation of Garden Clubs and the head of the Hawai'i Bicentennial Commission. Riccio was also the secretary for the Kalihi Business Association.
"Her whole concept was to get people interested in the environment," said Janet Yamamoto, member of the Aloha Garden Club. "Anything that related with plants or garden work or our flower shows."
Yamamoto said Riccio talked to students and teachers at Hawai'i schools and traveled to the Mainland to spread the interest of environmental causes.
"She was very generous at her own expense, very dedicated," Yamamoto said. "She'd even take the bus to go from Mililani to across the island to carry on these activities. Who else would be willing to do that?"
In April, Riccio was elected as the new president of Hawai'i Federation of Garden Clubs. She did not tell any of her close friends about her illness, said Wilna Johnson, president of the Aloha Garden Club.
"She was doing things right until the end, keeping everything to herself and never complaining," Johnson said. She knew Riccio for 18 years. "She was just so involved."
Riccio's son, August Jr. Riccio, said although his mother was a private person when it came to her own life, she never stopped giving her time to Hawai'i's children and its environment.
"She just liked to see things grow," he said.
In addition to her son, Riccio is survived by her husband, August Sr.; son Richard; brother Ascenzo "Hank" Ricci ; and four grandsons.
Visitation will be held at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at Mililani Mortuary, makai chapel; service at 7 p.m. No flowers. Casual attire.
Arrangements by Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary.
