Joanne DiSabatino Pollari, age 87, of Wilmington, Delaware, passed away on October 12, 2017.
Joanne was the fourth of five children born to Italian immigrant parents Dominick DiSabatino and Pauline DiNardo DiSabatino. She was a 1947 graduate of Ursuline Academy and earned her bachelors of science degree in education from the University of Delaware in 1951. It was there that she met her beloved husband, Wayne Pollari. They were married in August 1951.
Joanne was an elementary educator and had a special talent for working and caring for the youngest learners. She began her career in 1951, teaching second grade in the then Mt. Pleasant School District. After the birth of her children, Wayne Jr. and Andrea, she resumed her teaching career. In the 1960s she was one of the first Head Start-Follow Through Program kindergarten teachers in the city of Wilmington.
With a nudge from Wayne, Joanne was a dedicated supporter of the Democratic Party and spent countless hours volunteering her time working on behalf of local and state candidates, including her husband. Joanne and Wayne were longtime season ticket holders for the University of Delaware football games, and enjoyed many hours tailgating with good friends. She loved cooking for her family, and took great pleasure in hosting dinner parties. Joanne was an avid beach goer, and looked forward to every opportunity to spend time at her home away from home in Rehoboth Beach. In her later years Joanne enjoyed a new pastime as an artist. She was a prolific painter of oils and water colors.
Above all, Joanne was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and was recently able to meet her two newborn great grandsons via FaceTime.
Joanne was pre-deceased by her parents, her husband Wayne, and siblings, Gene DiSabatino, Sylvia DiSabatino Winchester, Richard DiSabatino, and Angela DiSabatino Kaiser. She is survived by her son Wayne Pollari Jr., daughter Andrea Lanciault, son-in-law, George Lanciault, granddaughter Lindsay Lanciault and her wife Toby, granddaughter Carly Lanciault, great grandsons Rhys and Fox Lanciault, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.
The family would like to extend its sincere appreciation to the staff at Sunrise Senior Living of Wilmington for their dedicated care.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
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