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Jeannette L. Palluzzi joined her husband Alexander A. Palluzzi, Sr., with the Lord on July 24, surrounded by her loving family at Connecticut Hospice in Branford.

“J,” as she was affectionately known, was a product of a Yankee family, the daughter of the late John R. and Charlotte Lemley and the youngest of nine siblings, raised in Guilford and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

After graduating from Sao Paulo Graded School in Brazil, J returned to the United States and received the first of several degrees from Southern Connecticut State Teachers College in 1955. She went on to receive her master’s as a reading consultant and 6th-year degrees in ESOL (English as a second language) and special education from SCSU as well.

J was a five-sport athlete at New Haven Teachers College (Southern Connecticut State College, presently Southern Connecticut State University). She participated in basketball, field hockey, volleyball, swimming, and tennis. J’s claim to fame was as a guard on the 1954 undefeated women’s basketball team that beat UConn (without Geno Auriemma!), which she was most proud of. She received membership into the Athletic Association and earned the coveted Athletic Jacket Award for her commitment and skill. Her love of athletics and the joy of competition was passed on to her sons, Alex, Jake, Michael, and Tony and her 10 grandchildren, Megan, Dylan, Emma, Tess, Jake, Nikki, Jennie, Michael, Lillian, and Anthony. For more than 50 years, Jay continued to watch hers sons and grandchildren compete as coaches, players and participants in various sports and was always on hand with a pen and pad tracking statistics for them all. Her commitment along with her husband Alex never wavered. Their unselfishness to others, kindness and dedication to education and sports are the hallmarks to the Branford community. J was inducted alongside her husband Alex into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Professionally, J established a solid and well-known reputation. In 1983, J, with fellow teacher Lenora Isenstadt, pioneered a computerized reading lab at Branford High. Its creation and their skill in developing and running it made them both sought after as speakers and advisers up and down the eastern seaboard. Jay’s reputation as the teacher who could get non-English speakers to learn English attracted students and their families all over the world to Branford.

When the State of Connecticut introduced the BEST program to improve and support teacher training, Jay became an assessor, mentor, master mentor and portfolio scorer. She was a prime contributor in enhancing teacher training and has been a true gem for the Branford School system. She selflessly took novice teachers under her wing and helped prepare them for Connecticut accreditation. All this was done without financial compensation because she believed she had the ability and responsibility to the profession and to others wanting to enter it.

J’s interests have led her to active roles in the Connecticut and International Reading Association to being a founder of the Physical Education Graduate Association and to being a teacher design partner for the American College Testing Service (ACT). J has won the admiration and love of all she has touched. As one of her admirers has written, “Mrs. Palluzzi did not care if we were poor or a minority family, she gave her unselfishness, kindness, and dedication to a student who needed help.” Another supporter wrote, “I often thought how perfect that those who had trouble reading would benefit from one of the most skilled and yet patient teachers while working with J Palluzzi. How perfect that for those new to our country, one of the first Americans they would come to know well would be their teacher J Palluzzi.” J was inducted into the Education Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Jeannette is survived by her sons, Alex, Jr. (Karen), John “Jake” (Marci), Michael (Terri), and Tony (Tricia) Palluzzi; her grandchildren, Nikki (Jon), Jennie (Jeff), Michael, Jr., Megan, Dylan (Meghan), Emma, Tess, Jake, Lillian, and Anthony, Jr.; her great-grandchildren, Theo, Ellie, Evie, and Alexander; and her sisters-in-law, Caroline Iovieno, Natalie DaCunto, and Lorraine Pyne. She was predeceased by her brothers, Ray, Earl, Lester, Esli, William, and Richard, and sisters, Dorothy and “Tootie”.

Her family would like to thank Whispering Pines for her care and especially the staff at Branford Hospice. They would also like to thank her wonderful SCSU alumni friends, Elaine, Rose, Carolyn, and Rosemary along with close neighbor Mary and all her bridge, book, social clubs, and theater friends.

Visiting hours are from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28, at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 29, in St. John Bosco Parish at St. Mary Church, 731 Main Street, Branford. Burial will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made out to The Jeannette L. Palluzzi Scholarship Fund in honor of a Branford High School student who earns the distinction of the Seal of Bi-Literacy and plans on attending a four year college. Please send donations to the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford, CT 06405.