In an interview with a relative, Connie Tuori talked about her life traveling.
The 93-year-old was found dead in her home at Skyline Apartments. Syracuse police ruled her death a homicide.
“But she was very much going into her 80s with that kind of lifestyle," said Pat Leone, Connie’s great-nephew.
What You Need To Know
- Connie Tuori was found dead in her apartment Wednesday and police ruled it a homicide
- According to her family, Connie, 93, traveled to all seven continents
- She was an educator, teaching in Syracuse, California, Turkey, and other places
Tuori was a connoisseur of the world.
“This is someone who has seen a variety of countries that almost no one else would have the chance to do in a lifetime,” said Leone.
In an interview with a relative, Tuori said her father, an Italian immigrant, inspired her travels.
An educator, Tuori taught all over the country and world. She wasn’t afraid to go anywhere – Africa, Antarctica, Afghanistan – and she couldn’t stay in one place too long.
“I went as far as Nepal and back to Europe, and I caught the travel bug all over again. I even went to Afghanistan,” said Tuori in the interview.
A photo of then-80-year-old Tuori was shared by Oasis Hostel in Granada, Spain’s Andalusia region, celebrating hosting the woman who nearly visited every country in the world.
Leone says she was well before her time, stepping foot in all seven continents. She was a woman born in the mid-1900s, without a husband or children, who traveled, educated herself, and educated others.
“She didn’t follow any template that was certainly of the lifestyle of that time that was common. That’s what she did. She did what she saw fit and she was independent,” said Leone.
“My mother used to send me $1,000 in traveler’s checks every six months, and that money would last me six months,” said Tuori in the interview.
Both the Syracuse Police Department and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh publicly noted the ongoing public safety and criminal issues in Skyline Apartments.
Her family doesn’t know who is responsible for her death.
“At 93, there wouldn’t take much to overpower her if you’re trying to burglarize an apartment or something like that,” said Leone.
But there is comfort in the memories of a woman who went out to see the world and succeeded.
“I always remembered that, how fortunate I really was to live in such an unusual place,” Tuori recalled.