Giovanna Gelso born September 19,1925 came to rest on November 23, 2016.

An immigrant from Italy since 1961 she and her two children Maria Elisa and Russell (Sal) joined her husband, Aldo Gelso in Bronx, NY. For a few years Giovanna worked in a fabric shop in Castle Hill, owned and operated by her husband, but she remained mostly a housewife. After her children married in 1975, her marriage dissolved. She later remarried to Dante Scarazzini. They moved to Florida and shared a good life until Dante became ill and passed away.

Giovanna then carved out a life for herself in Jamestown, New York where an older sister resided along with her children and grandchildren. She was very active in her church there, St. James on Foothill Avenue, and was considered a prayer warrior. She enjoyed sharing time with her sister, many nieces, nephews, and friends.

In 2010, as health issues became evident, her daughter moved Giovanna to her home in Conway, Arkansas. Giovanna was a very social person and shortly made friends in her new environment. Due to a fall in February 2013, she was left disabled. The road became long and hard until her death almost four years later.

She resided in a private residential care home in Greeenbrier, AR close to her daughter's home during the last 15 months of her life. At her new home, Seeds of Love, she once more charmed the caregivers and other residents securing an everlasting place in their hearts. She was loved very much by all, treasured her daughter and son-in-law, Scott Lambert, who she introduced as "my son".

Giovanna suffered many losses, her son in 2004, granddaughter, and nephew from NY, three sisters and a brother from Italy. She is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, two sisters and a brother in Italy, and four estranged grandchildren.


Her legacy was her smile, her faith, wisdom, her stubborn endurance, and patience in her illness that brought courage to all that came to know her. She lived a long life, not always happy, but gracious and appreciative of her blessings. All who love her are rejoicing that she has found her final rest and peace.


She will be interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY, near her granddaughter, Adrienne, and son, Sal.

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