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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 22, 2016 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 23 at 8:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Jody T. Giampietro, age 60 of Poinciana, FL and a former long-time resident of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed away suddenly early on Sunday morning, December 18, 2016.
Born in Newark, she was raised in Lyndhurst where she attended and graduated from Lyndhurst High School with the Class of 1974.
While it wasn’t love at first sight, at the time, Jody didn’t realize how blessed she would someday be to marry the man who would be her faithful and loving husband for 38 years. As you read on, you’ll understand why it wasn’t love at first sight but why it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of her entire life.
It all started one day when Jody was just sixteen years old. She and her girlfriend were walking down Ridge Road in Lyndhurst when, all of a sudden, this 1970 green Plymouth Barracuda pulls over to the curb and this guy steps out of the car, walks up to her and her girlfriend, looks Jody in the eye, and introduces himself as Wayne Giampietro. He then proceeds to tell her that she’s the girl he’s going to marry. Wayne then “naturally” asked Jody for her number so that he could call her to take her out. While Jody was flattered, she laughed and went on to explain to Wayne that her father was very strict and wouldn’t allow Jody to give out her number. Not giving up so easily, Wayne countered by asking Jody if he could give her his phone number. She said yes but when Wayne drove off in his hot car, Jody just threw the piece of paper with the scribbled phone number away. And who wouldn’t? This stranger walks up to her and the first words out of his mouth are, “You’re the girl I’m going to marry? Wow! That’s crazy! Jody didn’t realize how sincere Wayne was though, and for the next three months, he rode up and down Ridge Road looking to find her again. Day and night he searched until, one Friday, he spotted Jody walking out of Sacred Heart Church. She was just coming out of the rectory where she held a part-time job. He ended up leaving his car in front of the church so he could walk Jody home – two miles from the church. Impressed by his determination Jody invited Wayne to her house the following Sunday for a family picnic so he could meet her parents. Two days later, Wayne showed up for the picnic and, upon asking her father for permission to take Jody out, her father, who owned Lyndhurst Moving Vans, told Wayne he had to come to work at his company the following Saturday before he would give permission. Wayne showed up for work, impressed her father, and the next day they had their first date – taking a Sunday ride with Jody’s parents out to the Delaware Water Gap. A loving relationship started to develop but would it withstand what was right around the corner?
Three years later when Jody turned nineteen, her life hit some really rough waters. She was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. Unable to help her in any of the local metropolitan hospitals, her doctors recommended that she be admitted to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Despite receiving the best care possible, the doctors gave Jody six months to live and they even pulled her boyfriend Wayne aside and suggested he move on because, even if a miracle did occur and Jody survived, she would never be able to conceive a child because of all the chemo treatments her body had been subjected to. Those doctors didn’t realize how much Wayne loved Jody or how committed he was to her. To make a long story just a little bit longer, Jody officially went into remission two years later at age twenty-one. She left the hospital weighing in at a paltry sixty pounds and with no hair other than the wig she wore. The next year, on Saturday, July 8, 1978, Jody and Wayne exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at Sacred Heart Church in Lyndhurst. Afterwards, they had a great reception at The Fiesta Banquet Hall in Woodridge, then spent the next two weeks as man and wife on their honeymoon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their first home together was an apartment in Belleville on Washington Ave.
1980 was an incredible year for Jody and Wayne. They moved into their first home together on 19 Seneca Trail in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, but even more incredible than that, they welcomed the birth of a baby girl – an event those doctors said would never happen. Jody and Wayne named their little miracle Danielle and she was followed by two more miracles – Danielle’s sisters, Gabrielle in 1983 and Janielle in 1985! Jody was already a professional homemaker. With the arrival of the girls, she added the title of Professional Mom to her resume. She poured her whole being into her daughters, serving as a Girl Scout leader by leading her own troop and being the PTO President at the Randall Carter School where her girls attended. She was also all three girls class mom and her servant heart, knowing no boundaries, was also put to good use as a member of the Packanack Lake Fire Company #5 Ladies Auxiliary.
In December, 2006, after raising her family, Jody and Wayne moved to Poinciana, FL. She always looked forward to having her daughters and grandchildren visit and she visited them a lot too.
Jody was so thankful for the second chance of life that God granted! Her mantra became, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” She lived everyday as if it were going to be her last and she had a lot of fun in the process. She loved having her family actively involved in her life so when the girls were young, she and Wayne took them annually for many years to Disney World in Florida. The trip always took place in November and they made it a real learning experience by engaging in lots of educational activities on the way to Disney. They’d stop at museums, Indian reservations and even at an alligator refuge one time. In the summer, the family would always spend a week down the shore at Wildwood Crest where they always stayed at the Shalimar because that’s where Jody stayed when she was growing up. There was also a family trip to Puerto Vallarda, Mexico where they hiked up the mountain and returned by horseback because they were so tired.
Jody loved to entertain so the pool in the back yard in Packanack Lake was a favorite gathering place for family and friends, especially for the annual “Christmas in July” party and once, she and Wayne turned their whole house into a haunted house for Halloween. It seemed like they whole neighborhood came to tour their attraction that year. Jody also loved to sew and one year she made some incredible Halloween costumes for her girls. She dressed them up as Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Playing games was another one of Jody’s pastimes. Whether it was board games like Scrutineyes or Scattergories or Mahjong, or electronic games like Wii games, Jody was always up to play either with family, including her adoring grandchildren, or with friends in the Florida Game Club that she and Wayne belonged to.
Jody’s interests seemed endless! An avid bowler, she was a regular at T-Bowl where she was involved in a women’s league, mixed league with Wayne, and even a family league. She could crochet anything including blankets, pillows, scarves, and hats, and one time she crocheted a 20-foot long American flag blanket which she donated to the veterans. If anything could be made into a ceramic figure, you could bet that Jody had made it. She especially loved making piggy banks for her grandchildren and Wayne often joked that one day he was going to wake up to a full-size ceramic car in the driveway.
Jody loved her three dogs – all boxers – first Touchie Boy and later Buddy and Rocky at the same time. She’d take them on walks or play with them in the back yard, and at night, they would join her on the couch when it was time to relax.
Jody’s faith in God was very instrumental in defining who she was. When she and Wayne were living in Wayne and raising their daughters they were regular parishioners at Our Lady of the Valley Church. When they moved to Florida, they found fellowship at St. Rosa Lima Church in Poinciana. When Wayne was young, growing up in Newark where life could sometimes be a little rough, he longed to meet a good girl from a good family with a strong moral upbringing. Jody was that girl and her church life played a large role in blessing her with those virtues. She and Wayne were blessed to be married long enough to have the chance to renew their wedding vows on their 25th anniversary with their daughters gathered around at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wayne’s bride was a loving and devoted Mom and Nana who lived fully for her family and friends. She always smiled as she looked on the bright side and she always gave thanks for each day that God blessed her with. Though there is true sadness in their hearts, her family takes great comfort in knowing that she is now with the Lord and look forward to being reunited with her at the appointed hour.
Surviving are Jody’s beloved husband of 38 years, Wayne: three daughters: Danielle and husband Chris Romeo of Hardyston, Gabrielle and husband Jonathan Peralta of Chantilly, VA, and Janielle Giampietro of Orlando, FL; four grandchildren: Adrianna, Alanna, and Brandon Romeo, and Logan Peralta; her sisters: Sharon Denise and brother-in-law Charles Lacinski of North Arlington and Sandra Rossini of North Carolina; and her mother-in-law: Gloria Giampietro of Poinciana, FL.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jody’s name are asked to consider the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 22, 2016 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 23 at 8:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 22, 2016 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 23 at 8:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Jody T. Giampietro, age 60 of Poinciana, FL and a former long-time resident of the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed away suddenly early on Sunday morning, December 18, 2016.
Born in Newark, she was raised in Lyndhurst where she attended and graduated from Lyndhurst High School with the Class of 1974.
While it wasn’t love at first sight, at the time, Jody didn’t realize how blessed she would someday be to marry the man who would be her faithful and loving husband for 38 years. As you read on, you’ll understand why it wasn’t love at first sight but why it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of her entire life.
It all started one day when Jody was just sixteen years old. She and her girlfriend were walking down Ridge Road in Lyndhurst when, all of a sudden, this 1970 green Plymouth Barracuda pulls over to the curb and this guy steps out of the car, walks up to her and her girlfriend, looks Jody in the eye, and introduces himself as Wayne Giampietro. He then proceeds to tell her that she’s the girl he’s going to marry. Wayne then “naturally” asked Jody for her number so that he could call her to take her out. While Jody was flattered, she laughed and went on to explain to Wayne that her father was very strict and wouldn’t allow Jody to give out her number. Not giving up so easily, Wayne countered by asking Jody if he could give her his phone number. She said yes but when Wayne drove off in his hot car, Jody just threw the piece of paper with the scribbled phone number away. And who wouldn’t? This stranger walks up to her and the first words out of his mouth are, “You’re the girl I’m going to marry? Wow! That’s crazy! Jody didn’t realize how sincere Wayne was though, and for the next three months, he rode up and down Ridge Road looking to find her again. Day and night he searched until, one Friday, he spotted Jody walking out of Sacred Heart Church. She was just coming out of the rectory where she held a part-time job. He ended up leaving his car in front of the church so he could walk Jody home – two miles from the church. Impressed by his determination Jody invited Wayne to her house the following Sunday for a family picnic so he could meet her parents. Two days later, Wayne showed up for the picnic and, upon asking her father for permission to take Jody out, her father, who owned Lyndhurst Moving Vans, told Wayne he had to come to work at his company the following Saturday before he would give permission. Wayne showed up for work, impressed her father, and the next day they had their first date – taking a Sunday ride with Jody’s parents out to the Delaware Water Gap. A loving relationship started to develop but would it withstand what was right around the corner?
Three years later when Jody turned nineteen, her life hit some really rough waters. She was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. Unable to help her in any of the local metropolitan hospitals, her doctors recommended that she be admitted to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Despite receiving the best care possible, the doctors gave Jody six months to live and they even pulled her boyfriend Wayne aside and suggested he move on because, even if a miracle did occur and Jody survived, she would never be able to conceive a child because of all the chemo treatments her body had been subjected to. Those doctors didn’t realize how much Wayne loved Jody or how committed he was to her. To make a long story just a little bit longer, Jody officially went into remission two years later at age twenty-one. She left the hospital weighing in at a paltry sixty pounds and with no hair other than the wig she wore. The next year, on Saturday, July 8, 1978, Jody and Wayne exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at Sacred Heart Church in Lyndhurst. Afterwards, they had a great reception at The Fiesta Banquet Hall in Woodridge, then spent the next two weeks as man and wife on their honeymoon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their first home together was an apartment in Belleville on Washington Ave.
1980 was an incredible year for Jody and Wayne. They moved into their first home together on 19 Seneca Trail in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, but even more incredible than that, they welcomed the birth of a baby girl – an event those doctors said would never happen. Jody and Wayne named their little miracle Danielle and she was followed by two more miracles – Danielle’s sisters, Gabrielle in 1983 and Janielle in 1985! Jody was already a professional homemaker. With the arrival of the girls, she added the title of Professional Mom to her resume. She poured her whole being into her daughters, serving as a Girl Scout leader by leading her own troop and being the PTO President at the Randall Carter School where her girls attended. She was also all three girls class mom and her servant heart, knowing no boundaries, was also put to good use as a member of the Packanack Lake Fire Company #5 Ladies Auxiliary.
In December, 2006, after raising her family, Jody and Wayne moved to Poinciana, FL. She always looked forward to having her daughters and grandchildren visit and she visited them a lot too.
Jody was so thankful for the second chance of life that God granted! Her mantra became, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” She lived everyday as if it were going to be her last and she had a lot of fun in the process. She loved having her family actively involved in her life so when the girls were young, she and Wayne took them annually for many years to Disney World in Florida. The trip always took place in November and they made it a real learning experience by engaging in lots of educational activities on the way to Disney. They’d stop at museums, Indian reservations and even at an alligator refuge one time. In the summer, the family would always spend a week down the shore at Wildwood Crest where they always stayed at the Shalimar because that’s where Jody stayed when she was growing up. There was also a family trip to Puerto Vallarda, Mexico where they hiked up the mountain and returned by horseback because they were so tired.
Jody loved to entertain so the pool in the back yard in Packanack Lake was a favorite gathering place for family and friends, especially for the annual “Christmas in July” party and once, she and Wayne turned their whole house into a haunted house for Halloween. It seemed like they whole neighborhood came to tour their attraction that year. Jody also loved to sew and one year she made some incredible Halloween costumes for her girls. She dressed them up as Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Lion from the Wizard of Oz. Playing games was another one of Jody’s pastimes. Whether it was board games like Scrutineyes or Scattergories or Mahjong, or electronic games like Wii games, Jody was always up to play either with family, including her adoring grandchildren, or with friends in the Florida Game Club that she and Wayne belonged to.
Jody’s interests seemed endless! An avid bowler, she was a regular at T-Bowl where she was involved in a women’s league, mixed league with Wayne, and even a family league. She could crochet anything including blankets, pillows, scarves, and hats, and one time she crocheted a 20-foot long American flag blanket which she donated to the veterans. If anything could be made into a ceramic figure, you could bet that Jody had made it. She especially loved making piggy banks for her grandchildren and Wayne often joked that one day he was going to wake up to a full-size ceramic car in the driveway.
Jody loved her three dogs – all boxers – first Touchie Boy and later Buddy and Rocky at the same time. She’d take them on walks or play with them in the back yard, and at night, they would join her on the couch when it was time to relax.
Jody’s faith in God was very instrumental in defining who she was. When she and Wayne were living in Wayne and raising their daughters they were regular parishioners at Our Lady of the Valley Church. When they moved to Florida, they found fellowship at St. Rosa Lima Church in Poinciana. When Wayne was young, growing up in Newark where life could sometimes be a little rough, he longed to meet a good girl from a good family with a strong moral upbringing. Jody was that girl and her church life played a large role in blessing her with those virtues. She and Wayne were blessed to be married long enough to have the chance to renew their wedding vows on their 25th anniversary with their daughters gathered around at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wayne’s bride was a loving and devoted Mom and Nana who lived fully for her family and friends. She always smiled as she looked on the bright side and she always gave thanks for each day that God blessed her with. Though there is true sadness in their hearts, her family takes great comfort in knowing that she is now with the Lord and look forward to being reunited with her at the appointed hour.
Surviving are Jody’s beloved husband of 38 years, Wayne: three daughters: Danielle and husband Chris Romeo of Hardyston, Gabrielle and husband Jonathan Peralta of Chantilly, VA, and Janielle Giampietro of Orlando, FL; four grandchildren: Adrianna, Alanna, and Brandon Romeo, and Logan Peralta; her sisters: Sharon Denise and brother-in-law Charles Lacinski of North Arlington and Sandra Rossini of North Carolina; and her mother-in-law: Gloria Giampietro of Poinciana, FL.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jody’s name are asked to consider the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 20 Mercer Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
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