Welcome to a virtual memorial to Grace Wong Kurtz. Here you will find photographs of Grace throughout her life, audio, video, timelines of travels and birthday dinners, her paintings and, stories from friends and much more.You can click on the items in the menubar or on the pictures above to begin to explore the site.

Grace

1125-75; Middle English < Old French < Latin grātia favor, kindness, esteem, derivative of grātus pleasing

noun \ ˈgrās\

  1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, expression, proportion or action
  2. a pleasing, attractive or charming quality or endowment
  3. goodwill or favor
  4. the granting of a favor or the manifestation of goodwill, esp. by a superior
  5. a sense of propriety and consideration for others
  6. a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward
  7. a controlled, polite, and pleasant way of behaving
  8. (Christianity)
    1. the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man
    2. the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification
    3. the condition of being favored or sanctified by God
    4. an unmerited gift, favor, etc, granted by God

verb (used with object), graced, gracing.

  1. to lend or add grace to; adorn
  2. to favor or honor: to grace an occasion with one's presence
  3. to add elegance and beauty to: flowers graced the room
  4. to honor or favor: to grace a party with one's presence

graces: skills that are needed for behaving in a polite way in social situations

¡Gracias! Grazie! When a Spanish or Italian speaker says thanks, they are invoking one of the meanings behind the word grace. That’s because grace, gracias, and grazie all descend from the same Latin word, grātia.
For the ancient Romans, grātia had three distinct meanings: (1) a pleasing quality, (2) favor or goodwill, and (3) gratitude or thanks. We find all three of these meanings in modern-day English.