Obituary of Joyce May Lanovara

WEBSTER- Joyce May Gelo Lanovara passed away on February 9, 2025

Joy is preceded in death by her (ex) Husband, Frank, her parents Martha and Father James Gelo, and her beloved Sister Marie and Brother-in-Law Forest Lane.

Joy is survived by her dear brother, Francis "Bucky" Gelo, her daughters Julie (Robert Walls) Lanovara, and Kristine (Paul) Lanovara Hoagland, her granddaughters Jennifer ( Billy ) Sisson, well as Ryan (Keith) Quinn Belak, great grandchildren, Brayden and Jackson Belak, and her nieces Lisa (Matt) Ellis, and Kelly Gello.  Joy has many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces from the families of Francis Gelo, Joy Powell, James Lane, Martha Conboy and Liz Nelson.

Joy was born in Rochester, NY to Martha and James Gelo on May 14, 1932. Joy attended East High School in Rochester.  Joy was excited to Wed Frank Lanovara in August, 1950 at St. Ambrose Church in Rochester.  Together, Frank and Joy raised their two daughters and remained married for 30 years.  Joy's family was of utmost importance to her and she reveled in her homemaking and family life, celebrating often with her Parents, Sister and Brother and their families.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the Fairport Baptist Home and their dedicated healthcare staff. 

A graveside service for Joyce will be held on Friday, February 14 at 1pm at White Haven Memorial Park Pittsford, NY. 

Never was a name more appropriate than Joy.

She could make the bubbles rise in champagne.

She loved entertaining and had the whole family for holidays. As most Sicilians, Joy had two kitchens to cook in. One Thanksgiving she got a turkey so large it refused to fit in the oven till her Hubby, “Red” cut it apart for two pans.

Her Mother, sister Marie, and Joy were great cooks but each, individually, put their own english in their cooking styles. Mother and Marie tended not to measure to the gram, but not Joy. She stuck to that recipe and measured all ingredients precisely. There were never any substitutions, if the recipe called for freshly ground white pepper then that’s exactly what She used.

She had an endearment for the color white, the sofa, rugs, her car.

Her daughters, Kristy and Julie and later many Grandkids and Great Grandkids were the center of her life. How she looked with excitement for a call to “Mum mum” from those beautiful Grandchildren.

And then it was her loving relationship with sister Marie. As a child, Joy had to spend an extended time in a convalescent home with few visitors so Marie took a job there to see her. As they grew older, they would call each other daily at 3:00. Now, it’s perpetual 3:00 for them.

I can imagine the welcome up there with her Mom & Dad, Sister, Aunts, Uncles, and dear devoted lifelong friends she cared so deeply for.