Joseph James Giandalone

1948 - 2024

Joseph James Giandalone

Northampton, MA - Joseph James Giandalone died peacefully on June 10, 2024 with his companion Margaret at his side, after a long struggle with dementia. A long-time resident of Conway, Joseph had recently made a home with Margaret in Northampton and spent the last few weeks of his life at the Atrium in Agawam. Born on 18 April 1948 to Vincent and Cira (Sinagra) Giandalone, Joseph was the eldest of four children and grew up in East Chester NY, where he attended local schools, graduating from high school in 1966. He graduated with a BA from Cornell University in 1969, worked as an assistant manager of a halfway house for troubled teenagers in New Haven, CT, and drove taxis in East Chester and Boston, before training at the North Bennet Street School for Piano Technology in Boston. Joseph tuned and repaired thousands of pianos in the Pioneer Valley over the years, and was active in local theater, cinema, and music programs. He acted in theatrical groups in Northampton and Amherst, and was an integral part of Pothole Pictures in Shelburne Falls. He sang for many years in the Hampshire Choral Society, where he met Margaret. Joseph loved to travel and spent time in Italy, Peru, and the UK. He and Margaret played the piano and sang together, hiked the mountains of western Mass, and spent many weeks camping and hiking in Maine and on Cape Cod. Joseph was predeceased by his parents, his sister Frances Giandalone, his ex-wife Jennifer Vogelsanger, and a series of springer spaniels: Chuck, Rufus and Homer. He is survived by his sisters Rose Gillen and Anne Giandalone, his nieces Julie and Jennifer, his partner Margaret Tomasko and her two daughters Mandy and Kate and their families. He also leaves behind many dear and true friends, including Dan Keleher, Lola Reid and Tom Weiner, who offered tremendous comfort and support during his final years. We are also grateful to the caring and professional staff at the Atrium and Beacon Hospice, who made his final weeks comfortable, and the Czelusniak Funeral Home for handling the arrangements. As Joseph travels to whatever might be beyond, Chuck, Rufus, and Homer will surely be there to help him find the way.