Sara Frances Greco Tubertini, 95, of Flowood and formerly of Greenville, died peacefully, surrounded by her children, on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Community Place Nursing Home. She will be laid to rest in Greenville Cemetery under the direction of Boone Funeral Home.
Sara was born on October 15, 1930, in Greenville to Sam and Minnie Greco, first generation immigrants from Italy and Sicily. She was the oldest of four and sister to Brother, Rose Marie, and Sonny.
Every morning at four years old, she walked along the railroad tracks to Mass at Sacred Heart Church with her Grandma Maggio. That was the beginning of a life-long commitment as a daily communicant. When movement was limited in her later years, she had great appreciation for clergy, family, and volunteers who generously gave their time to bring the Eucharist to her.
Sara attended school at St. Rose de Lima (now St. Joseph) with a class of seven students. Early in her senior year, she was courted by Bruno Tubertini, Jr., who two years earlier had returned from serving in World War II. Sister Mary Matthew, not hiding her displeasure, referred to Bruno as “that thing” waiting for her outside the school. They married within weeks of Sara’s graduation.
When Bruno opened Tubertini Construction Company in the early 1960s, Sara ran the office and supported the fledging business. Eventually, Sara became a homemaker to their four children: Ronnie, Gay, Lolo, and Ricky.
Sundays and holidays at Mama Sara and PawPaw’s house in Greenville were filled with food, drink, love, and laughter. She somehow served multi-course meals to what had grown to more than forty children, grands, and great grands, and an occasional priest or two.
Sara belonged to and held leadership posts in numerous church, school, social, and volunteer organizations in and around Greenville. She was an avid booray player and enjoyed her circle of card-playing friends over many decades.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother, Frank Greco, and her granddaughter, Connie Beene. She is survived by her sister, Rose Powers, and her brother, Sam Greco.
Sara is also survived by her daughters Gay Waites and husband, Bobby, of Brandon, and LoLo Nowell and husband, Guy, of Philadelphia; her sons Ronnie and wife, Kathy, of Ridgeland, and Rick and wife, Kathy, of Biloxi; grandchildren Kim Manning, Andy Tubertini, Chuck Beene, Julie Deviney, Andrea Edwards, Judson Nowell, Sydney Collins, Lauren Tubertini, and Taylor Mattina; and 17 great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends at noon, Thursday, December 4, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Greenville, followed by a Funeral Mass at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital online at tinyurl.com/saratubertinimemorial, or by mail at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.