Welby Gardens’ Matriarch Passes Away

Esther “Grandma” Gerace, the matriarch of Welby Gardens, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her children on Feb. 20, 2017.  She was 96 years old.

Born on April 4, 1920, she was the daughter of Rosina and Carmine Pugliese.  Esther was raised in Irondale, Colorado.

She married Alex Gerace on Nov. 6, 1938, and they were happily married for 62 years until his death on April 1, 2001.

Esther and Alex were the foundation of Gerace family business, Welby Gardens.  Esther’s love for flowers inspired Welby Gardens to grow into the business it became.

In the early years she could be found working in the fields and later in the retail shop until finally retiring at 92 years old.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate your donations to the following funds:

Phil Finnell Scholarship: ATTN: CHREF Phil Finnell Scholarship Fund, 959 S. Kipling Pkwy, Suite 200, Lakewood CO 80226 Email: info@coloradonga.org.

Alzheimer’s Association Colorado Chapter: Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado 455 Sherman St., Suite 500 Denver, CO 80203 800.272.3900 http://www.alz.org/co/in_my_community_donate.asp