Giovanna Cecchi

Giovanna often reflected that she was lucky to have lived at the best time in history. “No other generation will experience the progress that I did” she would say. In her 96 years, she witnessed the transition from telegram to cell phone, from outhouse to central air, from horse and carriage to space travel and in her case from poverty to prosperity, for which she was very grateful.

Giovanna’s early life was difficult. She was orphaned at a young age, survived the effects of World War II, border changes, and communism. This history gave her the perspective to really appreciate the life she built after emigrating to the United States in the mid-1960s.

Giovanna was an extremely hard worker with great attention to detail and enjoyed being the manager of bakeries, convenience stores and restaurants in Sezana, Trieste and Milan. Her job at the Castle Drive-In in Riverside led her to meeting her husband, Aristide Cecchi, shortly after she arrived in the United States. Once married, she was a devoted wife, mother and sister-in-law, managing the house and working at the family businesses when needed.

Giovanna was a devoted grandmother, who found great purpose and pride in helping to raise her granddaughters and was lovingly called Nonna by both immediate and extended family and friends. You could not escape her apartment without a meal, care package or a box of homemade cookies. Some said she was a bit stubborn, but Giovanna was the first there when someone was in need; she led with her heart.

Giovanna’s other passion was real estate, and she really enjoyed participating in construction and renovation projects. She was fiercely independent, with strong ideas, and generous. She loved reading OGGI, watching Jeopardy, listening to the news, playing cards, telling stories and jokes, cooking, baking cookies, and entertaining and spending time with her friends, who were like family. Giovanna measured her achievements in the vast number of people she met, and the lives she touched. “I can’t believe how many people I’ve known” she would say, and she would fondly recount stories about dinner parties, fishing, the Poconos, Florida, extended family and friends and the adventures they shared.

Giovanna was grateful for the families she lived with throughout her life … growing up on Mario’s farm, living with Steno, Anna and Corrado in Trieste, and with Maria, Domenico and Marylou in Riverside. Once married, she joined Aristide and Angelo in their home and when Christina arrived, they were a happy family of four. Later in life, she felt complete, having an apartment of her very own that she designed. Nonna’s apartment was near her granddaughters, daughter and son-in-law and she enjoyed making frequent family dinners.

Giovanna passed away on December 6th after a short hospital stay. She lived independently in her apartment close to her family until the very end; on her terms. She is survived by her daughter, Christina Cecchi, son-in-law, William Osterman, granddaughters, Sabina Cecchi Osterman and Daria Cecchi Osterman, niece, Marylou Szeman and her husband, Ronald, nephew, Corrado Mazzeni and his partner, Maria Guadalupe, her bonus grandson, Logan Guinosso and her companion Mitzik, the family cat.

Giovanna was preceded in death by her husband, Aristide, his brother, Angelo Cecchi, brother, Steno Mazzeni and sister-in-law, Anna, her sister, Maria and brother-in-law, Domenico Mascarin, and her sister, Stana.

Come celebrate 96 great years Thursday December 19, 6-8 p.m. and Friday 9-10 a.m. at Sweeney Funeral Home, 337 Bridgeboro Street, Riverside. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday 10:30 a.m. at Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish, St. Joseph Church, Beverly. Interment Oddfellows Cemetery, Burlington. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Doane Academy, 350 Riverbank, Burlington NJ 08016.