Pearl Giarratano

Pearl (Carelli) Giarratano, 88 of Wethersfield, passed away on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 with her daughters Jeri and Laura beside her. She will be reunited with her childhood sweetheart Sarino Giarratano with whom she shared 57 years of marriage.

Born in Hartford on May 2, 1934 she was the youngest daughter of the late Joseph and Mary (Dante) Carelli. Pearl graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1952, and went on to Morse School of Business. Pearl worked at The Record Shop, Hartford, CT as a bookkeeper, where she enjoyed working until she left to have her first baby while her husband was in the Navy and stationed in Antarctica. Through working at her favorite job at The Record Shop, she had the opportunity to meet Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. After raising her family, Pearl returned to work for twenty years and retired as a Payroll Officer from the State of Connecticut, Division of Special Revenue.

Pearl took great joy bringing friends together and was on her High School Reunion Planning Committee. She was a very kind and compassionate friend and always chose to see the good in others. She remained in contact with many of her childhood friends throughout her life. Pearl played the piano beautifully, loved to dance and stay active and was always stylishly dressed.

In her seventies, she began to learn belly dancing at the Wethersfield Senior Center, and eventually taught summer classes. She attended “Belly Dance with Gia” and chair yoga through Zoom during CoVid and continued up until a recent illness. Pearl also loved playing cards and games and was always the winner! Pearl was also lucky enough to have won a mink stole, a Cadillac and a Mercedes in her lifetime. Although material things were not really important to Pearl, it was the love and closeness of family and lifelong friends that meant the most to her.

Pearls greatest joy in life was spending time with her family, continuing the tradition of Sunday family dinners; serving her homemade sauce, with ravioli, cutlets and roasts. During the summer months, cook outs by the pool were especially enjoyable and celebrating their wedding anniversary every July 5th, with those they loved. Mom loved being with us and we adored and loved being with her. She was fun to be with, to shop with and to talk to. She talked to her daughters every day no matter what. Her love knew no bounds. She was her grandchildren’s biggest fan and she would give them the world if she could. Pearl is the definition of unconditional love.

Pearl is survived by her loving daughters, Jeri Sitaro and Laura Bidwell and her husband Michael, all of Rocky Hill. Her Grandchildren were her pride and joy; Grandson Justin Sitaro and Granddaughter Nicole Bidwell, her partner Matthew Dos Santos and Pearl’s sweet Great Granddaughter Briella Dos Santos. Pearl also leaves many cousins, nieces, nephews and a sister-in-law Gloria Ierna and her husband Joey. Besides her husband, Sarino, she was predeceased by her dear sister, Mary-Ann Carelli and sadly, just recently, by her beloved son-in-law, Joseph Sitaro.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, April 17th at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Incarnation (Christ the King Parish), 544 Prospect Street, Wethersfield, CT. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the church. There are no calling hours and burial will be private at Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Charitable contributions may be made to the National Scleroderma Research Foundation at www.scleroderma.org or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

To leave a message for the family or view the tribute video in Pearl’s memory, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com