Obituary of Joyce F. Maddalone

Joyce Frances Maddalone (77) of Glenville, New York died June 11, 2020 on her 77th birthday after a long courageous battle with cancer.   She was at home and surrounded by her loving family while listening to her late husband’s serenading music.

Joyce was born in Pearl River, NY on June 11, 1943, to the late Walter and Clara Cook as the youngest of two daughters.  She attended Pascack Valley schools in Montvale, NJ where she learned the love for learning, music, reading, and history.  She acted in school plays, enjoyed Friday night dances, and cultivated lifelong friendships. Upon graduation, she decided to become a Nurse and graduated Saint Mary’s School of Nursing in Passaic, NJ.  While working and raising her family, she went back to school and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Empire State College.   

She met, fell in love, and married Henry (Hank) Maddalone of Park Ridge, NJ in 1963.  They began their family in Park Ridge in a small house near their parents and raised their first 5 children.   In 1972, Joyce and Hank decided to move upstate to Glenville, NY where Hank built a large family home and they welcomed 9 more children and the home Joyce would enjoy the rest of her life. While raising their 13 children and to help make ends meet, Joyce worked as a Registered Nurse at St. Clare’s Hospital, various home health care settings as well as a school nurse in local catholic schools. Not to be complacent, she was also a realtor for Century 21 and Maddalone Realty, and founded Action Nursing Service which at its height, Joyce and her home care nurses took care of more than 500 community patients, as well as Maddalone Medical Supplies and  Medical Legal Consulting.

Joyce was very active in and extremely supportive of her children’s educational, athletic, theatrical, and other social activities they participated in.  She took pride in their success, lent words of encouragement and if needed a soft shoulder for times that did not go as planned.

Joyce was dedicated to caring for others and was an advocate for children, education, community, and veterans.  She was a Cub Scout Den Mother and Girl Scout leader for 20 years, served as a foster parent, hosted fresh air children, volunteered at the Glendale Nursing Home, served as chapter president of the Right to Life, ushered at Proctor’s theater, and volunteered as a Fire Fighter at the age of 55 with the East Glenville Fire Department.  Joyce and her late husband were also instrumental in founding the Capital Region Veterans Memorial Park (Legacy Project) and  Joyce had been a Glenville Rotarian for close to 30 years and was serving as the President for her second term at the time of her passing. As a member, she served as a nurse in four Medical Missions to Peru and the Dominican Republic.

In 2006, Joyce founded Mother Teresa Academy in Halfmoon to promote catholic education at a time of parochial school closings.  The school has become known for welcoming children from diverse backgrounds and challenging them to develop their potential as lifelong learners. She named the school for Mother Teresa because she loved the saint who was a nurse, cared for others and lived in recent times.

Throughout her life, Joyce was dedicated to God and doing good for others.  Joyce was a member of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Glenville for 47 years, was a Eucharistic minister and participated in the weekly Prison Ministry at Mount McGregor Prison, Rite of Christian Initiation, Parish Nurses, and the Elizabeth Mother Ministry. 

Over her lifetime, Joyce had many passions, God, family, country, music (Elvis), dancing, concerts, shows, travel, dining out, puzzles with grandchildren, reading, watching historical documentaries, playing cards, traveling, and enjoying ice cream.  Those passions could be seen in the times she traveled the world with her husband and their lifelong friends as well as the times spent with grandchildren, laughing, and telling stories at family gatherings, at board meetings at Mother Teresa Academy, during community camaraderie with the Glenville Rotary, and at daily ice cream socials with friends & family.

Joyce appreciated the recognitions she received for how she went about her life, some awards were the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce (Inspiration Award), The Boys Scouts of America Award and Being named one of the 2020 Women of Distinction amongst others.   Living a full life, she was the co-star of the film My Way, The Story of Joyce & Hank which premiered to family and friends at Proctors last fall.

Joyce is survived by her 13 children, Theresa (David) Ristau of Broadalbin, NY,   Guy (Diane) Maddalone of Clifton Park, NY, Debra Kenyon of Glenville, NY, Drew (Jennifer) Maddalone of Harvard, MA, Christopher (Lucia) Maddalone of Glenville, NY, Todd (Angelique) Maddalone of West Sand Lake, NY, Gregory (Sarah) Maddalone of Baltimore, MD, Cathryn (Justin) Drexler of Corpus Christi, TX, Matthew (Fonda) Maddalone of Charlotte, NC, Michael (Raeann) Maddalone of Niskayuna, NY, James (Megan) Maddalone of Corpus Christi, TX,  Jessica (Leonel) Segura of Glenville, NY and Melissa (Benito) Ponce of Glenville, NY. She is also survived by her sister Marilyn Grosbeck of Blauvelt, NY, 4 nieces, 4 nephews and many lifelong valued cousins & friends.

She leaves 43 cherished grandchildren: Anthony (Meagan), Nicollo (Nicole), Michael, Elise, Jeffrey, Kristin (Tim), Justin, Jonathan, Ryan, Camden, Gavin, Cole, Victoria, Julianna, Zachary, Isabella, Sophia, Olivia, Thomas, Ella, Shawn, Angelica, Cheyanne, Jasmine, Lena, Oliver, Dacoda, Meadow, Trinity, Penelope, Kyla, Alana, Catalina, Michaelah, Giavanna, Valentina, Giuseppina, Rocco, Mario, Lorenzo, Gianluca, Giana, and Antonio,  as well as 5 great grandchildren: Mia, Jackson, Sawyer, Charlotte & Silas.

Joyce was preceded in death by her loving husband Hank of 57 years and their first daughter Donna Marie.

The family would like to thank Dr. Daniel Kredentser and Albany Medical Center for their care and support during Joyce’s battle.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Mother Teresa Cancer Awareness fund at https://mtcaf.org . Kind gestures of memorial PLANTS are preferred over memorial flowers. 

PUBLIC calling hours following COVID-19 safety regulations will be held on Monday, June 15th at the Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Road from 10 to 2 PM and another calling period from 4 to 8PM. 

A Mass of Christian Burial at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Round Lake will begin at 10:30 on Tuesday, June 16th. Burial will follow at St. Anthony’s Cemetery in Glenville.

For full outline of funeral details and participation options please visit glenvillefuneralhome.com