Joan Amarello

Joan Amarello passed away on April 10, 2022 in Boise, Idaho. She was born to Olivier (Parish) and Alfred Otto in Kingston, NY on August 2, 1929. While she had no actual siblings, many days were spent at her grandparents’ home with her aunt Elsie Krauser’s children (her first cousins), who were as close as any brothers and sisters. A graduate of Kingston High School’s class of 1947, through which she met her beloved husband John, Joan went on to live most of her life in Kingston. Joan and John married on November 12, 1950 (at Trinity Lutheran Church) and remained together until his death in July of 2005.

Much of her life, Joan enjoyed taking care of others. She supported her father’s store/business by working there and her husband’s careers (at IBM and as Mayor of Kingston) by being a homemaker. She and John adopted their only child, Amy, on August 12, 1965. The Amarello house was often a favorite hangout for pets and kids of all ages. When her mother became ill, Joan moved her own family into her mother’s home and took care of her until her death in 1982. One of her favorite caretaking “projects" involved her granddaughter, Ciana, with whom she engaged in imaginative play for countless hours. It was her greatest wish to see Ciana go to kindergarten, and she actually got to see Ciana start high school this past fall.

For brief periods of time, Joan worked as a lunch monitor at Brigham Elementary School in Kingston and in the cafeteria at IBM in Kingston. While living in Kingston, she was a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church and even continued to support the church while she could after moving to Boise. During her healthier years, Joan enjoyed volunteering her time with the Assistance League of Boise and with quilting projects through the church to which she’d belonged (Immanuel Lutheran Church) in Boise.

Joan is survived by her daughter Amy Amarello, her granddaughter, Ciana Amarello, and her son-in-law, Tom Widman. She is preceded in death by her husband, John Amarello, her parents, Olivier and Alfred Otto, and her dear cousins. The family wishes to thank the staff of Brookdale Assisted Living and Horizon Hospice in Boise, Idaho for their care and support.    

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on 4-22-2022 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 72 Spring St., Kingston, NY 12401. Joan will be buried next to John at Montrepose Cemetery in Kingston.