Chris Francisco, who knew Curci for 35 years, recalls trying--and failing--to keep up with her dear friend.

"The energy this woman had was incredible," Francisco says. "She would be sick but would still be outside doing yardwork. I couldn't keep up with her. I used to say, 'Sarah, don't you ever get tired?'"

And chief landscaper of the Curci household was not the matriarch's sole occupation. She also repaired the family car, decorated the home every Christmas, and cooked mouthwatering meals for family and guests at the legendary Pronto Pup Creamery, which she and husband Rocci purchased in 1951.

Former Pronto Pup employee Joel Herrera remembers that Rocci used to boast about his wife's handiness around the house.

"He used to brag that Sarah could fix the plumbing and tiles, and how she would remodel the house," he says. "She was a traditional stay-at-home mom who could do wonders with whatever."

But after a hard day's work, daughter Cookie Curci recalls, her mother never failed to make time to tell bedtime stories to her children. And these tales led Cookie to pursue a literary career of her own—with her mother's help.

"She really helped me with my writing," Cookie remembers. "She was my encyclopedia, my computer before computers were even invented. And Mom was always so full of encouragement."

Cookie, who lived in a duplex next to her mother until the end of Sarah's life, says she will remember her mother as a fountain of maternal wisdom and compassion.

"She was always there for us," she says. "I know everyone says that about their mother, but I was exceptionally close to her."

But Curci did not reserve her kindness for her children. She was always ready and willing to lend a hand or cook a meal for anyone who needed help.

Francisco says she remembers one time in particular when Curci aided her through a tough time.

"We both had homes in Lake Tahoe," she says. "One time, a robbery occurred in my home. Sarah dropped everything to drive me all the way to Lake Tahoe. She was always ready for anything. Sarah couldn't say 'no' to anyone."

Cookie recalls that even strangers were the recipients of her mother's goodwill. She would give homeless people odd jobs to make some extra money and did her best to create a "home away from home" for the teenagers who frequented the Pronto Pup's barstools.

"It's hard to find a restaurant like the Pronto Pup now days—a real neighborhood restaurant," Herrera says. "Rocci and Sarah had a real impact on that community."

But although Curci learned to channel her abundant energy in positive and practical ways as an adult, Cookie says relatives have shared stories of how her mother's youthful vigor frequently led Sarah into all kinds of mischief.

Born in San Jose on Sept. 29, 1917, Curci developed a rebellious streak at an early age. Although her father frequently admonished her to stay away from the family's pig, his warnings only piqued the feisty young girl's interest.

One day, while her father was away from the home, Curci scaled the fence surrounding the pig and fell right into the trough. Ever the adventurer, she climbed onto the pig and, holding onto its ears, rode the animal through the yard, destroying a vegetable garden and knocking Curci's father into the pig trough in the process. But Curci's joyride ended abruptly when the pig stopped and she went flying into a prickly pear patch. Despite the havoc she wreaked on the family home, Curci's father believed the plethora of prickles embedded in his errant daughter's skin were punishment enough.

Although Curci was able to temper her love of trouble as an adult, her daughter says her feistiness remained until the end.

"She was strong-willed," Cookie says. "She didn't take too much guff from anyone."

Sarah Curci is survived by her daughter, Cookie, and son Tony and her grandchildren, John Curci and Leighann Burks, and great-grandchildren Rocco and Michael Curci and Sophia Burks.