Winnifred Chiarella

Winnifred Balch Chiarella, 88, passed away peacefully on December 15, 2023. She is survived by her three sons, Tom of Eugene, OR, Frank of Los Angeles, CA and Peter of Albany, NY and six grandchildren- August (and spouse Laura Barringer), Walter, Cienna, Katherine, Elizabeth and Joe Chiarella- as well as two great grandchildren, Luca and Aiofe.
Born in Minneapolis, Winnie attended her beloved Washburn High (where she was known as Puggy) followed by the University of Florida where she was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority, receiving a BA in education in 1957. After college she moved to New York City, taking a position in the Classics Department at Columbia University. Soonafter, she met her soon-to-be husband, Angelo, and they married in 1959, just before relocating to Rochester. She worked at the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery where she met lifelong friends, including many local artists, and volunteered at the offices of Family Planning (the precursor of Planned Parenthood). After raising their three children, she went on to get an MA in education from Nazareth College, then taught in the Rochester City School District for nineteen years at schools #23 and #6. After retiring from the RCSD, she cofounded the Genesee Community Charter School located on the campus of the Rochester Museum & Science Center.
A celebration of her life will held at a later date in the spring of 2024.