Johanna Vivolo

Johanna Vivolo (nee Rigolli), age 85, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 while receiving the loving care of her family.

Johanna was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and was the older of two children to Anthony and Dorothy Rigolli. She attended high school in Brooklyn then enrolled at a Secretarial School also located in New York.  Following her certification from secretarial school, she found work quickly at a New York City toy store and remained employed there for a few years.

When Johanna was only fourteen or fifteen years old she became “High School Sweethearts” with a handsome young schoolmate by the name of Henry Vivolo.  The two dated through high school and as fate would have it they fell in love and on October 13, 1956 Johanna and Henry became husband and wife.  The newlyweds settled in Brooklyn, living in a basement apartment in Johanna’s parent’s house.  Johanna and Henry lived there for about four years when they decided to move to Paterson, NJ.  Before they moved to NJ, the couple welcomed the birth of their first son Chris.  After moving to Paterson, Johanna and Henry had their second child Glenn.  Johanna and her family were there less than a year when they decided to move to Wayne.  In 1961, the family moved to Wayne where they welcomed their next two sons, Gregg and Scott.  Johanna and Henry have been in Wayne ever since.

Immediately after getting married, Johanna decided that she would become a full time homemaker. This was truly Johanna’s calling and where she flourished.  In 1973, after spending 16 years working in the field of textiles in Passaic, NJ, Johanna’s husband Henry started his own business as a Schwinn Bicycle Dealer in the town of Wayne called Four Sons Cyclery.  The bicycle shop was truly a family affair where Johanna worked along with her husband and four sons for the next thirteen years.  In 1986 Johanna thought that she would try her hand at a different career and accepted a position as a letter carrier at the United States Postal Service in Wayne.  Johanna was a loyal and beloved employee at the US Post Office in and around the Packanack Lake area of Wayne for twenty-six years until retiring in 2012.

Johanna was not only devoted to her family but also to her Catholic Faith.  She and her family were parishioners of Our Lady of the Valley RC Church in Wayne since moving to Wayne in 1961.  Johanna was very active at church as a Eucharistic Minister and volunteer.  Over the years she also participated in a number of DeColores and Cursillo Retreats which is a method of Catholic spiritual renewal.  Johanna also gave generously to a variety of charities including St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Operation Smile, and various veteran’s charities.

Johanna enjoyed needlepoint and gardening in her backyard.  There in her backyard she would grow an amazing variety of flowers during the entire year.  She treasured entertaining guests in her home and was a wonderful Italian cook.  Though her cooking was excellent, her specialty was baking.  She was famous by family and friends for her Christmas Cookies, her Creampuffs, and her Chocolate Lollipops.  She was a selfless person, almost to a fault.  Every holiday season Johanna would make sure that every child (and young adult) on her mail route in Packanack Lake received her special holiday Chocolate Lollipops.  Johanna’s generosity did not go unrewarded.  During the holidays, Johanna would come home with cards and gifts from a majority of the people on her mail route.

Aside from all of Johanna’s talents, hobbies, and interests, her greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Johanna than spending time with her children and grandchildren.  For many years, Johanna and her family traditionally spent the week of Fourth of July renting a house in Long Beach Island.  She and her husband Henry cherished forty-two years of loving and loyal marriage until Henry’s passing in 1998.

Johanna could be quiet and reserved around people she didn’t know well but was wonderfully outgoing with friends and family.  She cherished entertaining family and friends in her home and truly touched the lives of everyone she met.  Johanna will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Johanna is survived by her four sons, Chris Vivolo of Durango, CO, Glenn Vivolo and his wife Eileen of Pompton Plains, NJ, Gregg Vivolo and his wife Christine of Wayne, NJ, and Scott Vivolo and his wife Jeanine of Toms River, NJ, one brother Roger Rigolli and his wife Paulette of Brooklyn, NY, one sister-in-law Anita Simone of Athens, IL, nine grandchildren; Dr. Jon Vivolo and his wife Darcy of Durango, CO, Sophia Vivolo of Pompton Plains, NJ, Jake Vivolo of Pompton Plains, NJ, Daniel Vivolo and his wife Caley of Manassas, VA, Brian Vivolo of Wayne, NJ, Matthew Vivolo of Wayne, NJ, Joseph Vivolo of Wayne, NJ, Anthony Vivolo of Toms River, NJ, and Michael Vivolo of Toms River, NJ.

Those planning to make a donation in Johanna’s name are asked to consider St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorials Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.