Grayce L. Coviello died on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, after battling ovarian cancer. She was 61.
Daughter of Annette (Kern) and George, she was born in Bay Shore, Long Island, on Sept. 18, 1958.
Growing up in West Islip, Long Island, around a large extended family, the importance of a strong family was firmly planted. Upon leaving West Islip, Grayce settled as a teenager in Montville, N.J., where she would spend the majority of her life.
Grayce was a talented vocalist and performer who chose to pursue her dream role of mother. It was a role she played with her entire heart and soul to her three children, Jeffrey, Annette, and Rudy. Her desire to provide a life for her three children filled with family, love, and joy was constantly at the forefront of her decision making. The Coviello house became the center for all gatherings and her hospitality to anyone who walked through the door was evident in an abundance of food, drink, and entertainment.
The pull to the theater extended into her adult life. She graced the stage in original cabaret shows while frequently serving as show manager for many productions housed under the Women's Theater Company umbrella in Parsippany, N.J. Most recently she served as the audience services manager at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
Grayce, the ever positive force in the room, was able to harness the best qualities of both of her parents by being the eternal optimist and the eccentric party host. These qualities made it easy to love her while also making it easy to laugh alongside her. Grayce demonstrated her zest for life through storytelling, singing, cooking, and smiling. Whether it was performing on stage or singing with her children and/or grandchildren, Grayce was a beacon of light for all who knew her.
She is survived by her children, Jeffrey, his wife, Erica, and their children, Georgie and Johnny of Belmar, N.J., Annette Ryzuk and her husband. Ryan. of Sparta, N.J., and Rudy and his wife, Jennifer, of Kinnelon, N.J., as well as her brother, Jeffrey Schulz, his wife, Luanne, and their daughter, Catherine, of Miami, Florida.
A celebration to honor her life will occur at a later date.