A memorial service for Etta Froio, former senior vice president, executive editor and associate publisher of Fairchild Publications, parent company of WWD, is planned for Sept. 24 in New York City.
Froio died June 11 at a care facility in Shrewsbury, N.J., following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 94.
Froio’s memorial service will take place at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel at 1076 Madison Avenue at 2 p.m., directly followed by a reception until 5 p.m. No RSVP is needed and it is open to her friends and loved ones.
The family said it looks forward to sharing, remembering and celebrating Froio’s life, “even as we continue to grieve her loss.”
As reported in WWD, Froio was well known for her fashion knowledge, wit and grace under pressure during a 54-year career at WWD and W. Designers and colleagues have also praised her for her kindness, patience, ability to teach her staff, and successfully managing a frenetic newsroom with an extremely calm demeanor.
As Giancarlo Giammetti, cofounder of Valentino, said in WWD’s obituary, “Etta was not only a remarkable journalist; she was a unique voice in fashion journalism. She observed our world with insight, curiosity and a perspective that was entirely her own.”
In the special issue that WWD published for Froio upon her March 2012 retirement, her longtime boss and Fairchild Publications chairman John B. Fairchild wrote, “She’s been through several regime changes and handled them cheerfully and like the great lady she is. Women’s Wear Daily would never have gotten off the old ground if it hadn’t been for Etta and the other ladies of the crew. It was always fun doing everything with her, and I never regretted asking her for advice or guidance, since she was always inspiring to work with. She controlled several mad people, including me…and saved me from many a disaster. To me, Etta is like the U.N., but she always gets things done calmly and to the pinnacle of perfection.”
Etta Froio and John B. Fairchild, 1976.
Michel Maurou/Fairchild Archive
Froio was a longtime resident of both Manhattan, where she lived on the Upper East Side, and Southampton, N.Y. She also bought and sold real estate in the Hamptons as a sideline. With friends, she published the social register The Blue Book of the Hamptons. She was on the boards of the Parrish Art Museum, where she was renowned for her expertise at running benefits, and the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, now known as Legal Momentum.
Froio excelled at playing tennis, which she enjoyed doing on weekends throughout her long life. She was a good cook, liked to dance and got a kick out of fast cars. She changed autos nearly every year, usually leasing some racy model. And she loved cats.
Froio is survived by her nephews Rick Colecchio, Dean Celia and wife, Dee; Paul Celia and wife, Melissa; Pete Celia, John Oram and Thomas Oram as well as her niece, Andrea Williams, and many great nieces and nephews.
