Obituary of Joanne Griffo

Joanne Griffo (née Ferrari), 71, of North Haledon, passed peacefully in her home with her family on March 17, 2022. Joanne was born on October 30, 1950 to Frances and Joseph Ferrari and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. She graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1968, graduated from William Paterson University, and later went on to receive her Master of Library Science. She was the Educational Media Specialist at Rutherford High School and then at Northern Valley Regional Demarest High School prior to retiring in 2011. Joanne was a dedicated librarian and took pride in the care of her collection, teaching young minds how to find information for learning, and fostering a love of reading. She was an avid reader and was most often seen with a book in hand. Joanne loved good stories (her favorite genre was mystery) and supported and encouraged her daughter to use her imagination to do the same, sparking a lifelong passion for stories in her daughter.

Joanne and her husband Anthony shared a wonderful life for nearly 40 years. Even though they both attended William Paterson University at the same time, they did not meet until ten years later. When they did meet in 1982, they knew very quickly that they were a good match and were married within the year.

Joanne is survived by her husband Anthony Griffo, daughter Juliana Griffo, and her siblings, Cosimo (Guadalupe) Ferrari, Rosemarie Ferrari, and Annette (Ruben) Romero. She is also survived by her niece and nephews, their children, and her many cousins.

Funeral Liturgy at St. Gerard Majella R.C. Church, 501 West Broadway, Paterson, NJ on Monday at 10:30 AM.  A private interment will take place at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery in East Hampton, NY. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the North Haledon Library in memory of Joanne.