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Joanne Catherine Mace of Guilford passed peacefully on April 24, at home surrounded by the love of her family.

Joanne was born in Milford on Oct. 7, 1936, the only child of the late Stanley and Catherine (Balinosky) Kaluzynski. She attended Lauralton Hall from first grade through high school and remained a devout Catholic the rest of her life.

At the age of 17, Joanne met her future husband, Richard, whom she married four years later, June 21, 1958. During their 67 years together, they rarely spent a day apart.

Before retirement, Joanne worked as an administrative assistant most recently for the Guilford Board of Education and then the SARAH Foundation of Guilford, where in addition to her example of patience and kindness, she further instilled in her daughters an understanding and appreciation of children and adults with disabilities.

Joanne loved flowers and gardening, reading, cooking, the New York Yankees (to the dismay of family Red Sox fans) and above all, spending time with her family, to whom she devoted her life.

In addition to her beloved husband Rich, Joanne is survived by her five cherished daughters, Sharon (Harry) Gigas of Ansonia, Lorraine (Andy) McLeish of Brooklyn, MaryBeth (Gregg) Perfetto of North Haven, Maureen O’Buck of Guilford, and Janet (Ray) Foster of Roswell, Georgia, as well as 11 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren (including one due in August), and several cousins. She was predeceased by her granddaughters Ashley and Erin Perfetto, our littlest angels to welcome her into Heaven.

Services and burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, family and friends are welcome to plant or enjoy watching your favorite flowers bloom this springtime in her memory, and/or make memorial contributions to Connecticut Hospice (for which the family is immensely grateful), at CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405. Arrangements in care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.