Constantine Plaissay Jr.
courtesy photo
Constantine Plaissay Jr.
CHARLO — Cherished husband, brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather; beloved member of the Mission Valley, passed away unexpectedly on April 20. Connie Plaissay Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1940.
Connie’s parents were proud immigrants; his father from Greece and his mother from Germany. Both arrived in New York’s Ellis Island at different times in the early part of the 1900s. They met when they were employed by the same family, his father a chauffeur and his mother as the morning maid. After they married, they started Plaza Florist Inc. in 1923 and worked together building their business.
Connie went to St. Ann’s Academy in New York City from kindergarten until he was a senior in high school. He liked to say that he and his classmates were the last graduating class of St. Ann’s and the very first of Molloy High School, which is still in existence today. After high school, Connie spent a brief time at Fairfield University before finding his real calling, The United States Marine Corps.
Anyone who knew Connie knew he “never had a bad day in the Marine Corps.” He loved his time in the Corps, but eventually made it into the family flower business. For the next 40 years he grew his parents’ business into a thriving enterprise, winning many design awards and heading up different floral committees.
In 2001, Connie and Di headed out to Montana to retire but it was only retirement from the New York City flower business. He started doing arrangements, wedding flowers and Christmas wreaths for family and friends.
Soon after arriving, he joined the Back Country Horsemen, the Leon Club, the Garden Club and became a working member of the St. Luke’s Foundation Board. He also worked tirelessly to get the Mission Valley Aquatic Center up and running. He was proud to be a member of them all.
Connie is survived by his wife of almost 61 years, Diane; his two children, Alex and Connie, his three grandchildren, Vincent, Catie and Marie and two great-grandchildren, Hudson and Sloane; and his beloved older sister, Alexandra.
A celebration of life will be held on May 29 at 4 p.m. at the Leon Club on Leon Road in Charlo. Refreshments will be served.
