Obituary of JoAnn Powers

JoAnn Powers passed away at Stamford Hospital on Saturday, September 23, 2017, with her loving family and friends by her side.  She was born on December 14, 1959.  Formerly of Stamford, JoAnn spent most of her adult life in Norwalk.  She is predeceased by her father Peter Guglielmo and her nephew Peter O’Rourke.

JoAnn is survived by her devoted husband Michael J. Powers and stepdaughter Katie; her beloved mother Antoinette (Dolly) Guglielmo; sisters Annette Lamberson of Westport and Rosemarie Trofa of Fairfield; brothers Donnie Guglielmo of Darien and Peter Guglielmo of Ridgefield; mother- and father-in-law Kay and John Powers; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; caring nieces and nephews; close friends; and her much-loved Mia Maya.

Beautiful, fun-loving, purposeful, and passionate in all that she did, JoAnn was a force of nature.  Always willing to listen and lend a helping hand no matter the cost to herself, JoAnn personified those rarest of qualities:  compassion joined to courage and determination.  Her family, especially her stepdaughter, nieces, and nephews, were the pride of her life, and they knew she would do anything for them.  Above all, she was dedicated to her mother.

Every holiday season, JoAnn and Michael opened their beautiful home to family, friends, and anyone whom they knew might be alone.  Their generosity of spirit was matched by their readiness to laugh and have a good time.

JoAnn suffered with dignity, strength, and fortitude as she battled cancer; she continued to put others first while she endured her treatments.  With humility and love, JoAnn reached out to bring healing to troubled relationships.  JoAnn lives in our hearts where she will remain forever.  She is our light and inspires us to be better people.  Words cannot express how much she is loved and will be missed.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, September 28th at Lacerenza Funeral Home/8 Schuyler Ave. Stamford, CT from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, September 29th at Sacred Heart Church 37 Schuyler Ave. Stamford, CT at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to honor JoAnn may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org).  To leave an online condolence please visit www.lacerenzafh.com