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Joanne Louise Labriola, 76, of Westbrook passed away after a long illness on March 23 at Hartford Hospital. She was born Nov. 30, 1943, in Hartford, the daughter of Louise Parks Cayer and Leslie M. Cayer.

Joanne graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, class of 1961. Following high school, she attended St. Francis School of Nursing and received her LPN. She worked at St. Francis Hospital and lived in West Hartford, where she met the love of her life.

In 1963, Joanne married Robert Labriola, Sr., who devoted his life to loving and caring for her. They moved to Old Saybrook, to be near the Connecticut shoreline, in 1969. In 1973 they moved to Westbrook, where they built a home and raised their family. They celebrated 56 years of marriage in December.

Joanne dedicated numerous years of her working life to her patients at Ferry Point and Gladeview Nursing Homes. She retired early and unexpectedly due to complications from diabetes that affected her vision. Despite those personal challenges, she volunteered at the Hospice Unit at Middlesex Memorial Hospital, helped to raise the six grandchildren who adored her, and cared for her father-in-law. She loved cooking, gardening, baking with her granddaughters, and spending time with the friends and family who loved her, especially her best friends, Sherry Seidman and Pat Brink, whom she considered to be like her sisters.

She was predeceased by her parents and her nephew Jeremiah Woodward. Surviving in addition to her husband, Robert Labriola, Sr., are her son Robert Labriola, Jr., and his wife Beth of Westbrook, her daughter Lori Dorothy and her husband David of Old Saybrook, and her son Stacy Labriola and his fiancée Jodi Guenther of Deep River. Also surviving are six grandchildren, Genaro Labriola, Nikki Lyss, Matthew Lyss, Caroline Labriola, Shelby Dorothy, and Ava Jain-Labriola; her devoted siblings Marilyn Cayer of Custar, Ohio, and Leslie Ohta and Toshi Ohta of Glastonbury, and David Cayer and his wife Janet of Coventry; her beloved niece Kate Grimes; and nephews Cory Cayer, Cary and Miki Ohta and their families.

There will be no services at this time. When circumstances allow, a celebration of life will be held, the date and time to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, 103 Vision Way, Bloomfield, CT, 06002.