Grace D. Barney

Grace D. Barney, age 60, died unexpectedly at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on January 9, 2012 after a long illness. She was born in Detroit on October 7, 1951; the daughter of Dominic and Eva (nee Giordano) Tocco. She grew up in Detroit and Eastpointe. On June 19, 1971 Grace Tocco married Patrick Barney at St. Angela Church in Roseville. The young couple made their home in Eastpointe where they raised their four children. Grace was known to be "everyone's Mom" because of her warm, inviting personality that she spread to friends, neighbors and her children's friends. She was a loving and hospitable woman who her family described as, "The Best". Grace was a senior tax advisor for H. & R. Block for the last 25 years. She taught tax courses to other veteran advisors as well as newly hired advisors. She enjoyed helping low income clients because of their need. Her devoted clients returned to her year after year and would only talk to Grace because they trusted her. Grace was known to her grandchildren as "Mimi". Mimi was extremely proud of her family and was loved to spoil all of them. When the grandkids went over to Mimi's it was fun time! Grace loved to give to everyoneshe was a giver, not a taker. People would confide in Grace because she always found time to listen to anyone's life problems. When Mrs. Barney's children were in school she was an active volunteer at St. Veronica's in Eastpointe. She volunteered for everything, but notably the church festival where she worked in the kitchen. She was also a Girl Scout troop leader. Grace's hobbies included cooking for family and friends, her grandkids, everything Up North, crossword puzzles, traveling the state and her iPod Touch. The Barney family had a summer home in Lewiston. The "compound" was built by the family and featured seven bedrooms and a private wing for Mimi and Pat. She was happiest when the entire family would gather in the summer or over Thanksgiving to just be together. Grace is survived by her husband of 40 years, Patrick; their four children, Leonard Tocco (Michelle), Angelica Daleo (Joseph), Michael Barney (Christy) and Anthony Barney (Jennifer); an adopted daughter, Maureen Tocco; 11 grandchildren, Angelo, Dylan, Julian, Christian, Adriana, Lillian Grace, Nathan, Stephen, Joseph, Breanna, and Melissa; her great-grandson, Trystan; four brothers, Sam Tocco (Geri), Peter Tocco, Dominic Tocco (Jackie), Robert Tocco (Denise); her sister, Eva Abdelazim (Hamid); and a sister-in-law, Summer Tocco. She was predeceased by twin grandsons Dominic and Nino Daleo, her sister Elizabeth Sowinski and brother Michael Tocco. Visitation for Grace will be held from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the A. H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Avenue at Vernier Road in Grosse Pointe Woods. Her body will lie instate at St. Veronica Catholic Church, 21551 Universal at Toepfer in Eastpointe from 9:00 o'clock Monday morning until mass begins at 9:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Stan Pachla will officiate. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township. Memorial contributions may be directed to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312 or for the family's intentions.

Funeral Home:

A. H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe

20705 Mack Avenue

Grosse Pointe Woods, MI

US 48236