House Concurrent Resolution 74

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE LIFE OF MR. FREDERICK ALOYSIUS TUCEI AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON THE OCCASION OF CELEBRATING HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY.

WHEREAS, on Wednesday, February 13, 1918, Woodrow Wilson was completing the beginning of the second year of his second term as President of the United States; the United States Armed Forces were 10 months into the battle of World War I; Theodore Bilbo was in the third year of his term as Governor of the State of Mississippi; electricity was decades away from rural Mississippi; mechanized farming was only a fledgling vision in a field of dreams; women's right to vote would occur one year later; however, on this day, a marvel by the name of Frederick Aloysius Tucei was born on Delauney Street, now known as George Ohr Street in Biloxi, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, the child of the late Mr. Joseph Tucei and Mrs. Nancy Tucei, Fred attended and graduated from Biloxi High School in 1937, and entered directly into the workforce for a number of years before enlisting in the United States Army on January 1, 1942, less than a month after the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor, where he served a brief and honorable stint as a paratrooper before receiving an honorable discharge; and

WHEREAS, after his military discharge, Mr. Tucei returned to Biloxi, Mississippi, resuming his life of hard work at such companies as Latil Motors, Ingalls Shipyard and Gorenflo's Hardware Store, and immersing himself with an innate affinity for the outdoors, especially being on the water fishing, a passion he would soon capitalize on with the 1947 establishment of Tucei's Fishing Camp near Gautier, Mississippi, which became a popular tourist's destination, drawing internationals and even Hollywood celebrities to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Tucei fishing experience for more than 25 years of its operation before being sold in 1972; and

WHEREAS, although not a very religious man, Mr. Tucei, who experienced a traditional Catholic upbringing, is a man of strong conviction and his honest approach to life has garnered him countless friends and an esteemed reputation that precedes him everywhere he goes; and

WHEREAS, as life has its way of bringing itself full circle from childhood to adulthood, Mr. Tucei was born on the heel of the 1918 Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday celebration, and in commemoration of his 100th birthday, which fell on the 2018 Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday celebration, he was honored by the City of Gautier and the City of Biloxi, the latter of which designated February 13, 2018, as "Fred Tucei Day"; and

WHEREAS, having met his soul mate, the former Hazel Myrtis Lopez, at life's intersection of love and affection, the two were united in a matrimonial bond on March 27, 1944, and experienced a wonderful marriage full of love, respect and honor, and they were blessed with two daughters, Linda Tucei Gandy and Sandra Tucei Commiskey, and two granddaughters, until the Almighty Creator, in divine providence saw fit to summon Hazel's presence to the heavenly court after nearly 60 years of marriage; and

WHEREAS, as one of the newest Mississippi members to join the Centenarian Club by virtue of achieving the God-gifted age of 100, Mr. Tucei continues to live an active life, fishing and traveling with his family, enjoying the companionship of many who consider him a father figure, and sharing his positive attitude, storied outlook on life, while crediting the gift of his longevity to a life well lived by staying true to himself and remaining active; and

WHEREAS, having lived in two centuries, including the hardship of the Great Depression, Mr. Tucei has seen America change from an agrarian society to an advanced technological industrial giant, and on his watch he has seen 18 different United States Presidents and 25 Magnolia State Governors; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to acknowledge and commend the life of such an astonishingly noble, experienced and gentle soul as Mr. Tucei:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby acknowledge and commend the life of Mr. Frederick Aloysius Tucei, congratulate him upon the occasion of celebrating his 100th birthday, and extend warmest wishes for many more years of good health, love and peace.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mr. Frederick Aloysius Tucei and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.