Joanne Terminello

Joanne was born on June 19, 1954 to Louis Terminello and Josephine Terminello (Mandia) in what was then known as St. Vincent’s Hospital.

After graduating from Susan E. Wagner High School in 1972, she moved to the Upper West Side in Manhattan. It was during this stint in the city and in the most quintessential New York fashion, that she met her future husband, William Rath, on the Staten Island ferry. He asked to sit next to her, the rest is history. They married in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and then resettled in Staten Island’s Silver Lake neighborhood, where they had their daughter and only child, Antonia.

Joanne graduated from Hunter College with her undergraduate degree in English. Prior to entering into graduate school, she spent several years as an editor for a NYC publishing company. She then changed hats and earned her Masters in Social Work from New York University and then went on to have a rewarding career spanning over 30 years in social work. She brought her keen intellect and innate caring nature to Kingsboro Psychiatric Center in Brooklyn, South Beach Psychiatric Center in Staten Island, and a Coney Island outpatient mental health facility.

Joanne enjoyed nothing more than spending time with family and picking out the perfect gift or card for those fortunate enough to be loved by her. She had the uncanny ability to make you feel right at home. When she wasn’t calling her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, she was watching a Criterion Collection film with her husband, reading through a cookbook planning for her next family holiday meal, or coming up with the perfect play in a game of Scrabble.

She is survived by her husband William Rath, with whom she just celebrated her 39th wedding anniversary on June 15th. She is also survived by her brother, Louis J. Terminello (Richland, Washington), daughter Antonia Kelleher (Edmonds, Washington) and grandson (and apple of her eye), George.

Joanne was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, and died from its complications on June 24, 2023. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Clearity Foundation, whose mission strives to improve the survival and quality of life of women with ovarian cancer.

The wake will be held at Harmon Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 27 from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. A mass will be held on Wednesday, June 28 at 10am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Burial will be in Silver Mount Cemetery.