Joanne Zollo Cunniff

Joanne Zollo Cunniff, 84, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2023 in her home, surrounded by her loving and devoted family. She was born on May 28, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York and was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers and two sisters, her spirited Maltipoo named Lucy, and by her loving husband, Justin D. Zollo. After graduating from high school, Joanne settled into a business career where she provided administrative support to a variety of local businesses. As the third oldest of eleven children, Joanne's large family and Catholic tradition taught her the values of resilience, sacrifice, and hard work, but most of all, she valued the importance of family. She will be buried next to Justy, the love of her life, in New York.

In the late 1970s, Joanne moved her four children to San Jose, California, where she became one of the early pioneer administrators at Apple Computer, Inc.

She loved to sing, dance, play bingo and bowl in her early years, but her real passion was her family, her love for animals, and sporting events. A fierce and loving champion of her four children, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, Joanne enjoyed spending time with all of them at family dinners, holidays, and at countless sporting events where she often cheered loudly for them over the years. She was feisty, quick-witted, and she refused to let any obstacle slow her down or interrupt her desire to share any thought or opinion on any topic at any given time and without fair warning.

Joanne will be lovingly remembered by her sisters, Barbara Lipari and Marianne Poletti and her brother, Edward Maroney, by her four children, Donald (Sofia) Cunniff, Michael (Teri) Cunniff, Joanne Varni, and Donna Cunniff, and by her eleven grandchildren, and her four great-grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Donations in lieu of flowers are welcome to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at stjude.org and Humane Society Silicon Valley at hssv.org.