Joan Pizzano Mangani
May 26, 1941 – April 22, 2022
Joan Pizzano Mangani passed away on Friday, April 22 in Orlando, FL with her daughter by her side and her son’s voice comforting her. She was the brightest of lights – beautiful, loving, creative, free-spirited, intelligent and wise with a compassionate heart and love of life.
Born in Everett, Joan was the daughter of Katherine J. Forrestall and Leo A. Pizzano, Sr. She graduated from Cheverus High School in Malden and continued her education at the Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett to become a certified Registered Nurse.
An adventurous spirit, Joan travelled across the country and throughout Europe in her early twenties. She then married and lived in Italy for five years, working as a civilian nurse at the U.S. Army Hospital in Leghorn (Livorno). She had two children before divorcing and returning to the U.S., where she worked as an emergency room nurse at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
In her thirties, Joan moved her young family to Thomaston, ME to further her education at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, graduating as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She was employed at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, ME where she later became the Director of the Emergency Department and Outpatient Services and acting Director of Nursing.
After her kids were grown, Joan moved to Orlando, FL in 1988, leaving behind a long career in medicine to become a real estate agent and licensed broker. She would eventually move to Washington, DC, where she and her son worked together in real estate for nearly eight years before ultimately returning to Orlando. She enjoyed tending to her beautiful garden and spending time with family and friends.
An artist at heart, Joan was a gifted sculptor and painter who also wrote beautiful poetry. She loved to read and embraced her passion for art, philosophy, science and the study of the cosmos.
Joan left an indelible mark on those who spent time with her, touching many people in a profound and positive way. She will be deeply missed.
Predeceased by her parents and brother, PFC James R. Pizzano, who died in Vietnam in1968, Joan is survived by her daughter, Katia Mangani of Winter Park, FL; her son, James Mangani of Washington DC; her brother, Leo A. Pizzano, Jr. and his wife, Shirley of Everett; her sister, Kathryn Hall and her husband, Stephen of Georgetown, MA; her niece, Leann Rozza and her husband, Sabatino and their children, Isabella and Aria of Peabody; her niece, Kristen Glionna and her husband, Christopher and their children, Evangeline and Nathaniel of Medford and many cherished relatives and friends.
A graveside funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27 at Holy Cross Cemetery, 175 Broadway, Malden, MA 02148. All are invited. Memories and condolences can be shared online at cafassofuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to the Sjogren’s Foundation at sjogrens.org, Shriners Hospitals for Children at loveshriners.org, or the Vietnam Veterans of America at vva.org.
Arrangements by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett.