Joanne T. Monaco

Joanne Theresa Monaco, age 78, beloved mother, grandmother and aunt, went with her Lord peacefully on October 24, 2021, at Heron Pointe Health and Rehabilitation Center in Brooksville, FL.
Joanne was born on June 23, 1943, in Waterbury, CT to Saverio and Rafael “Rae” (Cicchetti) Iannelli. Joanne attended Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, graduating in 1962. That same year, in August, she married the love of her life, Ralph Monaco Sr. After becoming “Mrs. Monaco,” she became a Certified EKG technician, and began her career in the medical field working first at Waterbury Hospital, and then as an Office Manager at a cardiology practice in Waterbury. During this time, Joanne also earned another title, that of “Mom,” when she and Ralph welcomed their two children, Ralph Jr. and Barbara Ann. Before her retirement, Joanne held various positions within the Southington Board of Education; her last position being Administrative Assistant to the Principal of South End School. When she wasn’t working, Joanne was an active member in her community, participating in community service and serving as a Eucharistic Minister for Saint Thomas Parish in Southington.
As a family of four, Joanne, her husband and their two children, enjoyed countless summer vacations, but her favorite pastime was spending time in the sun, lounging in the family’s in-ground pool, and hosting many enjoyable summer barbeques with friends and family. Later in life, Joanne and Ralph enjoyed traveling abroad; Italy being Joanne’s favorite destination. When Joanne wasn’t traveling, she and Ralph were spending summers at their lake house at Sun Valley in Stafford Springs, CT where they continued to entertain family and friends. An avid poker player, Joanne was also the winner of several poker tournaments during this time. Even though she loved the sun and poker, Joanne cherished being a grandmother to her three adored grandsons, James, Kyle and Kevin, even more. After the passing of her husband, Joanne moved to Clearwater, FL, for the sunshine and palm trees where she acquired a loving group of friends. Throughout her lifetime, Joanne also had an inseparable bond with her sister, Josephine, and together they shared many adventures filled with love and laughter.
Joanne was predeceased by her husband, Ralph Monaco Sr. and leaves behind her son Ralph Monaco Jr. (Beth) of Brooksville, FL, daughter Barbara Lalla of Southington, CT, and grandsons, James Monaco of Brooksville, FL and Kyle and Kevin Lalla of Southington, CT. She also leaves behind sisters, Josephine D’Argento of New Haven and Mary Ann Santamauro of Waterbury, CT, brother, John Iannelli of Southington, CT, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to all the staff at Heron Pointe for their attentiveness and loving care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org/) or to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (https://bafound.org).
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 8th, 2021 at St. Dominic’s Church, 1050 Flanders Rd, Southington. Burial will follow in St. Thomas Cemetery, Southington. There are no calling hours. Plantsville Funeral Home has been entrusted with handling the arrangements. For online condolences and directions, please visit www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com.