Gasparini and Oliveri Funeral Home

Born Alfonso Graceffa on Dec. 4, 1918, Al Grace opened Al Grace Appliance & TV at 312 9th St., in the early 1960s. There, Grace became Rockford’s source for new and used appliances after already carving a name for himself as a longtime area musician. The business moved to 811 W. Riverside in 1999. With Grace the pitchman, the store is a Rockford staple, a flagship local retail business that continues to thrive as big-box stores continue to come and go. Grace’s “Peanut Sale” campaign, for which he collaborated with numerous Rockford luminaries, became legendary on local TV. The spots earned Grace an ADDY Award from the American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois in 2016. “The Most Interesting Man in Rockford” was also a notable series of ads. An immigrant from Sicily, Grace graduated from Rockford Central High School, where the UW Health Sports Factory now sits. He was later drafted into the United States Army during World War II, and was stationed at Rockford’s Camp Grant. Like other servicemen returning from the war, Grace and wife, Marie, started a family. He worked as an appliance repairman. She was a stay-at-home mom. Grace supplemented the family’s income playing the horn and leading the Al Grace Orchestra. “That’s really where the name ‘Al Grace’ came from,” Grace’s son Lou Graceffa said. “It was easier to market it by dropping the ‘ffa.’ Every Saturday night, he had a gig someplace.” The band of sometimes a dozen players performed at country clubs, schools, the downtown Moose club and the Faust Hotel. Those were the days Graceffa got his start working with his father. “I would go with him on Saturday afternoons to prep the music stands, set the lights up and put the music out for the guys,” Graceffa said. Grace stopped playing with the band in 1960. After 20 years working for Wilson Electric, he opened the first Al Grace Appliance in 1962. “He just did service back then&mdash...

Editor's note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Fort Lewis, Washington.ROCKFORD — Al Grace, a Rockford icon known to one generation for his music and the next for his quirky appliance ads, died today at the age of 98.Grace owned Al Grace Appliance, 811 W. Riverside Blvd., which opened in 1999 after a relocation and expansion from Al Grace Appliance & TV, 312 Ninth St., which he opened in 1962."He was just an unbelievable man," said Lou Graceffa, the eldest of Al's three children. "I wish I had half his personality."Besides personality, Grace attributed his success to customer service when it came to competing with big box stores.  "The loss of Al Grace represents the loss of an icon of locally owned businesses," said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. "He believed in our community and was willing to compete with the bigger national stores. His high level of service and creative, fun marketing campaigns had the community feel they were supporting a friend every time they purchased something."Born Alfonso Graceffa, Grace was 9 years old when he arrived in Rockford from Sicily. His father, Louis, had immigrated years earlier in an attempt to build the American dream. When Al and his mother arrived in the U.S. the Great Depression was in full swing, and that dream was far from reality.Grace graduated from Rockford High School and took a job as a factory worker before he was drafted into the Army during World War II. It was then that he found his love for music..embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }First stationed at Camp Grant, Grace played the bugle during basic training. He then was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was the leader of the USO Medical Division — entertaining troops ...