Obituary of Joan Manghisi

Joan Manghisi of Clinton, NJ passed peacefully on June 16th. Joan was born in 1935 in Jersey City, NJ the daughter of Carl and Mary DePascale.  She was raised in West New York, NJ and attended Holy Family High School.  After completing beauty school, she worked in her father’s salon, Carl’s Beauty Salon in Jersey City.  In 1954, Joan married Joseph Manghisi, who has predeceased her, and together they raised their family in the Vailsburg section of Newark.  There, Joan volunteered playing the piano and teaching religious education in the school system. Later, the family would move to Clinton, NJ and Joan would go on to work at The Hunterdon Medical Center as an Office Manager.

Joan had many passions and an appreciation of nature.  She was an avid gardener and each year her perennial garden in Clinton would expand.  She treasured antiques, with a particular fondness for angels and could spend an entire Saturday shopping for them with friends.  She loved New York City and attending Broadway shows, with Phantom of the Opera being one of her all time favorites.  She had an affection for the Opera and in particular, Luciano Pavarotti.  On weekends, she would fill the house with music and always shared her love of music and theater with her children and grandchildren.  She was a voracious reader, enjoyed knitting and always found peace at the Jersey shore.  She was an amazing cook, sharing with her daughters and friends recipes passed down from her family. It so warmed her heart to have her family gather around the Sunday dinner table. She loved to travel and each year would plan extensive trips with her cousin and childhood friend, together they referred to themselves as the three amigos.  Their adventures would bring them to Europe, Alaska, Cambodia, Russia, Latin America and beyond.  

But her greatest passion were her children and their spouses, Maria and Robert Montalbano, Roe Manghisi and Jill Sasso, Nicole Gill, Annette and Lou Sciarretta, her grandchildren, Danielle, Robert and Nicolle, Jonathan, Michelle and Tucker, Allison, Andrew, and her great grandchildren, Natalie, Giulian, Giovanni, and Georgia.  Her legacy is her family.

Due to the current health crisis, a Memorial and Burial have been postponed. Please watch the Kearns website, kearnsfuneralhome.com, for a notice of such Services at a future date.  In lieu of flowers and in memory of Joan’s granddaughter, Michelle Montalbano, donations may be made to:  Hunterdon Central Regional High School, noting Michelle Montalbano Memorial Scholarship in the memo section, and sent to Maria Montalbano, 14 Park Drive, Clinton, NJ 08809.