JoAnna Marie (Costello) Civitello

JoAnna Marie (Costello) Civitello, aged 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family, on Saturday, August 19th at Waterbury Hospital. She was the devoted wife of Dante Raphael Civitello and the loving mother of six children.

JoAnna was born on February 10th, 1936 in New York City, New York, the cherished daughter of Mary Spezio Costello and Joseph Costello.  A graduate of Julia Richmond High School in New York City, New York, she earned an Associates of Arts Degree in Business Management from Mattatuck Community College in 1987.  She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and received the 1987 Connecticut National Bank Award for Management based on her academic excellence. JoAnna was instrumental in helping her husband run the iconic Dan’s Frontier Store & Harness Shop on Main Street South in Woodbury, Connecticut for over 50 years. She was an accomplished artist who enjoyed crafting, drawing and water color and oil painting. She was also an avid reader. She will be remembered for her devotion to her family and her boundless generosity.

In addition to her loving husband, Dante, she is survived by her six children Donna Jean Civitello, Bette Ann Kitik, Lisa Marie DeAngelis, Daniel John Civitello, JoAnna Lynn Abraham and James Anthony Civitello.  She is also survived by her daughter-in-law Jill Semple Civitello and her sons-in-law Robert  Forrest Carter, Norman James DeAngelis and Eric Walter Kitik; her grandchildren Drew Alexander Kitik, Lila Elizabeth Kitik, Melanie Grace Kitik, James Anthony Civitello, Jr., Robert Paul Civitello, Nicholas John Civitello, Megan Lynn Civitello, Rachel Leigh Abraham, Christopher Michael DeAngelis, Joseph Anthony DeAngelis, and Grace Marie DeAngelis. She is predeceased by her granddaughter Angelina Marie DeAngelis. She is also survived by her sister Maryann Linder, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. She will be greatly missed by her loving relatives and friends.

The family will be holding a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions may be made in JoAnna’s honor to the Smile Train Organization, 41 Madison Ave, 28th fl.  Attn: Team Empower, NYC, NY. 10010. 

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