Joan Elizabeth Paggi Moruzzi

1931 - 2026

OBITUARY:

Yarmouth Port, MA - Joan P. Moruzzi, 94, passed away peacefully at home on August 27th, surrounded by her loving family. Joan was born on November 2, 1931, in Wappingers Falls, the daughter of Mario and Emilia Paggi.

Some people measure a life by years. Others measure it by accomplishments. Those who knew Joan Elizabeth Paggi Moruzzi know her life was measured by something far more enduring—faith, family, kindness, and love.

Born during the Great Depression, she entered a world where families learned to make do with what they had, and gratitude was often life's greatest treasure. As a child during World War II, she collected ration stamps and waited for news of her five siblings who were in the military overseas. Those early years of uncertainty helped shape the quiet resilience, patience, and steadfast faith that would become the hallmarks of her life.

The 1950s brought new opportunities and adventures. She crossed the Atlantic to Europe and traveled to Cuba just before the Cuban Missile Crisis. After graduating from Krissler Business Institute, she began her career as an Executive Secretary at IBM, where she met Victor, the man who would become the love of her life and the devoted father of their five daughters. Together they built a home in the Village of Wappingers Falls filled with love, laughter, unwavering support, and a deep Catholic faith that became the foundation of their family.

She had a wonderful sense of style, from her matching shoes and carefully coordinated outfits that filled her closet to the unforgettable red-and-white Ford Fairlane with rosy-pink upholstery that became part of her family legend. That love of beauty continued as she delighted in dressing her daughters in matching outfits throughout their childhood.

Over nearly a century, she witnessed extraordinary changes in the world—from transistor radios to smartphones, from black-and-white television to streaming video, from telegrams to text messages, from horse-drawn wagons to self-driving cars, and from the earliest days of aviation to space exploration and artificial intelligence. Through every remarkable advancement, she remained grounded in what mattered most: her faith in God, her devotion to her family, and her generous heart.

To her family, she was a constant source of warmth, wisdom, humor, strength, and unconditional love. She possessed a quiet grace that never sought attention but touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. She lived through nearly a century of change without ever losing the kindness, compassion, dignity, and gentle spirit that defined her.

A woman of deep Catholic faith, she trusted God's guidance throughout her life and found comfort in His promises. Her faith sustained her through life's joys and its challenges, and she met her final days with the same courage, peace, and hope that had carried her for nearly ninety-five years. And even as her strength faded, she continued to live fully—surrounded by family, sharing meals and stories, welcoming visitors, and finding joy in the simple moments that had always mattered most. She showed us that life is meant to be lived until the very end, and she did just that—with grace, gratitude, and love.

She is lovingly survived by her five daughters: Anne Marie and her husband Mario Pelella of Saratoga Springs, NY; Teresa and her husband Bruce MacRae of Falmouth, MA; Carla and her husband Philip Murphy of Ridgefield, CT; Margaret and her husband Warren Boldrin of Montgomery, NY; and Laura and her husband Chuck McKinney of Yarmouth Port, MA.

Joan was Mamma Bear and Grandma Joan to her 14 grandchildren whom she dearly loved: Mary, Mario and Grace Pelella; Rebecca (Gregory Leya), Kendall (Matt Caple) and Lilybet MacRae; Erin (Corey Brosz), Eva and Andrea Murphy; Evan and Emily Boldrin; and Kristina, Patrick (Jazmine) and Christopher (Rachel) McKinney. Joan was also GiGi to her 9 great-grandchildren: Amara, Cecelia, Cooper, Peter, Cyrus, Benjamin, Turner, Maxwell and Caroline. She also leaves behind many beloved nieces and nephews, each of whom held a special place in her heart. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Victor Moruzzi, with whom she shared a lifetime of love and devotion. Joan is also preceded in death by her eight siblings and their spouses: Clatilda Paggi, Ann and Edward Leonard, Hugo Paggi, William and Sara Paggi, Joseph and Bernice Paggi, Raymond and Louise Paggi, Marie Paggi, and Margaret and Robert Manny.

She leaves behind a family who will forever cherish her example, her stories, her contagious laughter, and the countless ways she taught them—simply by the way she lived—that love is the one thing that never goes out of style. She was our foundation. Our inspiration. Our greatest blessing. Although our hearts are broken by her passing, we rejoice in the promise of the Resurrection and give thanks for the extraordinary gift of her life.

Prayer of the Rosary to be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday, September 2nd at DELEHANTY FUNERAL HOME, 64 E. Main St., Wappingers Falls, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11 am, at St. Mary’s Church Clinton Street, Wappingers Falls, followed by burial in St. Mary Parish Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To offer a message of condolence or share a fond memory, please visit: www.DelehantyFuneral.com

VISITATION:

Wednesday, September 2

9:30 - 10:30 AM

Delehanty Funeral Home 64 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls, NY

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL:

Wednesday, September 2

11:00 AM

Church of Saint Mary

11 Clinton Street, Wappingers Falls, NY

INTERMENT:

St. Mary Parish Cemetery

19 Clinton Street, Wappingers Falls, NY

MEMORIAL DONATIONS:

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.