Paris, Tenn.—The royal court that will be honored at Saturday evening’s annual Mardi Gras Ball in Paris has been announced. Sponsored by the Paris-Henry Co. Heritage Center, the event is held at the Quality Inn in Paris, with the New Orleans-style dinner at 7 p.m. and dancing to the band “Magi” at 8 p.m.
A Fat Tuesday parade begins with the dancing and the King and Queen will be crowned. Tickets are still available at Jaspe, Lura Lee’s or the Heritage Center. Table reservations can be made at 731-642-1030 or may be made at director@phchc.com
Members of this year’s royal court are: Giola Fazzini and Zach Corpus; Patrick and Amy Smith; and Andrew and Sherry Norman.
Here are their profiles:
Duchess & Duke of Hickory Flat: Giola Fazzini and Zach Corpus
The Duchess of Hickory Flat is Gioia Fazzini. Gioia grew up in Paris and graduated from Vanderbilt in 2005. She is the strings teacher for PSSD and serves as the president of the Board of Lee School and the Academy for the Arts. Serving on the Lee School Board is a full circle moment because Gioia’s grandfather Lee M. Greer Jr. while in the 8th grade jumped out of a window at Lee School and never returned. Gioia is especially proud to support the Heritage Center because the Living Room is dedicated to her grandfather. Horseback riding is her favorite hobby. She even wins prizes but mainly because Roany the old mustang she borrows makes anyone look good. Gioia is the daughter of Andy and Bobbi Greer Fazzini .
Gioia is escorted by Zack Corpus, a fellow musician from Dodge City, Kansas. Zach has just completed his doctorate in music from the University of Memphis. He was a semi-finalist in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition and currently directs the band at Hamilton High School in Alabama.
Duke and Duchess of Whitlock: Patrick & Amy Smith
The Duke and Duchess of Whitlock are Patrick and Amy Smith.
Patrick is the current owner and president of L. I. Smith & Associates. He graduated from Henry County High in 1991, where he was an All-District Football player; he received his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1998 from Mississippi State University. Patrick has served Henry County as a county Commissioner and is currently a member of the Paris Masonic Lodge. He is very active at all levels of his professional engineering organizations.
Amy is a Registered Nurse employed at Paris Healthcare as the Admissions Coordinator. She received her nursing degree from Jackson State Community College in 2012. Amy has worked in orthopedics, surgical, home health and a case management. She is from Jackson and moved to Paris in 2017 with her husband Patrick.
Patrick and Amy have been married since 2011. Amy and Patrick share 5 children: Drew (22), Jacob (29), Mason (17), Ryan (14), and Emma (14), the one girl.
Duke and Duchess of Jackson Forest: Andrew & Sherry Norman
Andrew and Sherry Norman, the Duke and Duchess of Jackson Forest. The Duke and Duchess are life-long Henry Countians. Andrew is the son of Dr. and Mrs. D. M. “Mickey” Norman. Sherry is the daughter of Ted Parrish and the late Wanda Adams. Andrew is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Murray, and Sherry is a Nurse at Paris Surgical Specialists. They are active members of the First Christian church in Paris. The Normans love their life style, spending time on the lake and playing golf. They have 5 children: Lindsay, Austin, Alaina, Nicholas, and Dallas—all of whom are grown and out of the house.
Photo: Everyone enjoying the dancing at the 2014 Mardi Gras Ball. (Heritage Center photo).
Menu
