Funeral mass for Frank Anthony Terracina, Senior, 88, of Greenville will be at 11 AM on Saturday, April 2, 2022, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The family will receive visitors at 10 AM. The graveside service to follow will be at Greenville Cemetery, under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Greenville, and officiated by Rev. Fr. Andrew Nguyen. He passed away on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at his home.
Frank was a man ahead of his time, a visionary in all respects. He was the son of immigrant parents, Rose and Roy Terracina, who came to America in search of the American dream. In doing so, they instilled the hard work and ingenuity for which Frank is known. Arriving in the Mississippi Delta from Chicago, with hopes of owning their own business, Frank, Anne, and his parents opened Mr. Roy’s Steak House named after his father which brought upscale dining to Greenville. Having worked in Chicago in the car business, his dream was to return to that industry. When the opportunity arose in 1965, he purchased the Lincoln Mercury Dealership and fulfilled his dream. As Greenville prospered, opportunities allowed Frank to acquire his second dealership, Toyota, thus forming the Terracina Motor Company. His approach to marketing was brilliant. Every weekend people tuned into the Frank Terracina Saturday Night Picture Show where he entertained them with facts and figures of the latest models of new automobiles in two extremely long commercials. Frank was honored to serve on many automotive industry boards and the Dealer Council. He achieved Ford Motor Company’s Presidents Award for Customer Satisfaction and was asked to speak at numerous automotive conferences across the United States. He and Anne were fortunate enough to travel the world numerous times as a reward for his accomplishments. Rose and Roy Terracina’s hope for the American dream was manifested in their son, Frank.
In 1947, Frank met the love of his life Anne. From that moment on, Anne’s dance card was filled with only Frank’s name. They married in 1954; and in true Italian-Catholic tradition, they created a big family. Married for 67 years, they worked as partners in business and life. His love for Anne was boundless, and he called her his Queen.
To Frank, his faith was first followed by his great love for his family, and a close third, Ole Miss. He was so proud that all six of their children were Ole Miss graduates. On any Ole Miss weekend, you could see Frank and Anne cheering on the Rebels – Frank always with his favorite glass of scotch. He served his church and his community both actively and silently. Frank was President of the Saint Joseph Catholic School Board, Parish Finance Council, and Knights of Columbus. For his family, he fostered an environment to allow each of his children to excel in their own ways. He loved to include his family in all his interests, including sports, gardening, and travel. Frank was an avid reader and technology junkie. Some of the family’s best memories include eight people being crammed into a 21-foot Winnebago for family vacations.
When Frank was asked by his grandson Nicholas what he wanted to be remembered for, he said, “I don’t know if I’ve done anything really good in my life, but raising six children and sending them off to college and having them be successful is something that I’m most proud of.” Frank is preceded in death by his wife, Anne. He is survived by his children Steve Terracina (Margaret) of Oxford, Tina Morris (Don) of Greenville, Lisa Johnson (Buster) of Greensboro, North Carolina, Joseph Terracina (Donna) of Greenville, Anthony Terracina (Kelly) of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Frank Terracina (Nickie) of Villa Rica, Georgia. He has 16 grandchildren—Steven Terracina, Michelle Terracina, Christopher Morris, Anthony Morris, Anna Bosworth, Mitchell Johnson, Austin Johnson, Nicholas Johnson, Olivia Johnson, Joseph Terracina, Jr., Katherine Anne Nicholson, Maria Terracina, Abbey Terracina, Anna Terracina, Frankie Terracina, and Story Terracina.
We’d like to thank the caregivers who so lovingly and expertly cared for our father – Shanette Calvin, Judy Kingdom, Micki Carter, Gail Walker and Tywuan Washington.
Memorials may be made in Frank’s memory to St. Joseph Catholic Church or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.