Joan A. (Minnick) Giannelli

Mrs. Carol Ann "Joan" (Minnick) Giannelli, 86, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2023, in Vernon, Connecticut after years of battling various medical ailments including Multiple Myeloma Leukemia.  She was born on March 22, 1937 in Berlin, New Hampshire, the daughter of Grace (Faucher) Minnick and Glen Minnick.  Joan was predeceased by her husband of 41 years, Joseph Michael Giannelli.  She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Her passion for life and love for her family and friends will be deeply missed.

Joan was a proud graduate of Rosary Academy in Watertown, Massachusetts.  Her strong work ethic and dedication to service led to a diverse career path. She began her career at Remington Rand, managing the key card punch machine, the precursor to modern day computers.  After many successful years of being the CEO of the Giannelli household, she went on to be an educational assistant at UConn, working in both the Bursar's office and the Ombudsman office.  She later found joy in serving the local community at Willington Pizza as an assistant manager. After passing the pizza baton to several of her children and with the computer age beginning to surface, Joan’s natural curiosity and propensity for the craft drew her in.  Upon graduating with highest honors from The Morse School of Business, she worked as an Executive Administrative Assistant to the senior Vice President at Connecticut Mutual. She then applied her savvy computer skills as the Area Administrator of the Entex Corporation.  She went on to make significant contributions in Public Relations at St. Thomas Aquinas as the liaison between the Parish and the University of Connecticut.  She did all this while continuing to be heavily involved in community affairs.

Beyond her professional life, Joan was an accomplished classical pianist, whose talent brought joy and inspiration to many. She was also a sports enthusiast with a particular love for UConn sports. This love of sports was something she shared with her family and friends. Joan's devotion to her family was apparent in everything she did, and her love for them was boundless.

Joan is survived by her children, Michelle Giannelli Soucek of Taylor, PA; Elisa Giannelli of Stafford Springs; her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Diane Giannelli of Norwich; her daughter and son-in-law Karla and John Gilkerson of Saugus, CA; her grandchildren, Alyssa, Matthew, Christina, Ryan, Devon, Sarah, Jake, Paige, Grace, Sydney, Johnny, and Jenna, and great-grandmother to Giovanni, Lucy, Penelope, Giselle, and Cameron.  

Joan’s family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, November 24, 2023 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. Willimantic. Her Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2023 at 10:30am at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, 46 N. Eagleville Rd. Storrs with her burial following in Storrs Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Multiple Myeloma Foundation, 3 Forest St. New Canaan, CT 06840 or to the Joe Giannelli Golf Fund, c/o University of Connecticut Athletic Development Office, 2111 Hillside Rd. Storrs, CT 06269.

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