Joan Edna Garofalo

Joan Edna (Manthey) Garofalo, 78, of Cromwell, wife of the late Robert S. Garofalo, passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2020, at Middlesex Hospital.  Born in Middletown, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Marion (Wrono) Manthey.

Joan grew up in the Westfield section of Middletown.  She was a member of Third Congregational Church in Middletown and worked for Genuine Parts Company for many years where she made lifelong friends.  Joan was a person who had to be busy and always on the go.  She loved to travel with her friends, loved country music and concerts, antiquing, shopping and the beach.  She also traveled with family and special friends to her cottage at Goose Rocks Beach in Maine and considered this her happy place. Above all else, Joan loved her family, they were her whole life and nothing else mattered as much as them.

Joan is survived by three daughters, Mary Ellen Chapin of Middletown, Wendy Cady and (Michael) of Rockfall and Renee Yankowski of Rocky Hill; six grandchildren, Andrew DiMauro (Rachel), Matthew DiMauro (Sami), Nathaniel Chapin, Christopher Chapin, Noah Yankowski and Skylar Yankowski; two great grandchildren, AJ Day and Connor DiMauro and a nephew and niece, Mark Finnegan (Sherry) and Dawn Rivers (Leroy).

Along with her parents and husband, Joan was predeceased by her sister, Gloria Senteio and son-in-law, Bruce Chapin.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 19th at 11:00 am at Third Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street, Middletown.  The service will be held outside where masks and social distancing will be required and please feel free to bring your own chair. Following the service, burial will be in Gethsemane Cemetery in Meriden.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory may be made to American Cancer Society, 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Ctr., Rocky Hill, CT 06067.  The Doolittle Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.