It is with great sadness – but gratitude for her life and all she did – that we mourn the passing of our mother Joan Risoli. She was the loving wife of the late Michael S. Risoli; devoted daughter to the late Vincent (Jim) and MariaAssunta (Mary) Gassetto; sister to Vincent Gassetto; cherished mother of Susan, Michael, Matthew, and Patricia; adoring grandmother of Alexandra, Julia, Michael, Lucas, and Jane; beloved mother-in-law to Christine; and dear friend to Nicole Ponce and John Davis.
Joan and Mike often joked that theirs was a “long-distance” courtship, made possible by public transportation between Bayside, Queens and College Avenue in the Bronx. His family favored coffee and hers drank tea exclusively. His people were from Naples and her tribe was Calabrese. But they overcame these differences to forge a long marriage full of travel, a shared love of foreign films, and countless holiday dinners where family and friends sat down at a long table laden with Joan’s superb cooking (and coffee meticulously brewed in a traditional stovetop percolator.)
Although they made wonderful memories in their home on Long Island, after Mike’s passing Joan returned to her beloved New York City to care for her aging parents. Though she was in her sixties by then, she started over with determination and zest. She earned a bachelor’s degree, traveled to Europe, worked fulltime into her seventies, and took great pride in cooking and baking (always from scratch) for her growing family. Always she met life with strength and a tireless energy that inspires us.
There will be a wake Thursday March 12 from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Frederick Funeral Home, 192-15 Northern Boulevard, Flushing. Funeral mass 10am at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 215-35 38th Avenue, Bayside. Burial will follow at 12:15 p.m., Calverton National Cemetery.
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