Cecelia Theresa (Grieco) Wallach

Cecelia Theresa (Grieco) Wallach died on Sunday August 20, 2023, at age 87 years old in Arlington, VA. She was devoted to her family and friends, and she was dearly loved by all. Ceil was born in 1936 in Buffalo, NY to an Italian immigrant father who worked as a cook (Joseph) and a first-generation Italian American mother (the beloved Mama - Margaret). They both worked tirelessly to raise their seven children. She was the third youngest, and she adored all her brothers and sisters: Mikey, Danny, Mary, Joe, Arleen, and Larry. She lived in Buffalo until she met Richard “Dick” Simms Wallach. After they married, they made the first of many moves in their lifetimes to NYC where they loved hosting family for visits. Many years were spent raising their kids in Toronto, Canada, but they also had interim moves for Dick’s job with Unisys to Minneapolis, Montreal, Princeton, NJ, Wayne (Phila), PA and finally Arlington and Falls Church, VA. A devoted and fiercely competitive tennis player since she first took tennis lessons at 35 years old, Ceil loved to play hard and run people around the court. The McLean Racquet Club community was like another family to her, especially Casey. Dick left her far too early as he died suddenly in 1999 and she then devoted her time to helping raise her grandkids and playing more tennis. She was also a talented painter and cake decorator. All the family got theme birthday cakes and she loved the challenge of the requests which included: Pokémon, Harry Potter, Jeeps, Disney Princesses, and the Mets. The last 2 years were difficult with advanced dementia, but she was still on the court a couple of times a week up until last summer at age 86. Her Sunrise Bluemont care staff provided her comfort, love, and care to the end, along with the supportive Capital Caring Health Hospice staff. Ceil is survived by daughter Liz (Jason) and son Rich (Becky); grandchildren: Olivia, Isabel, and Richard; siblings: Joe (Donna), Arleen (Bill and Lori, Will and Wes) and Larry (Bobbi); and the Wallach in-law family: John and Aurelie, Mary, Mike (Sonia), Jim, Brendan, Darren (Bam), and Laura (Shawn) and preceded in death by Doug and Donna. No services are scheduled at this time. A private family memorial service will take place at a later date.