Obituary of Sallyann Thérèse Giuffrida

Sallyann Thrse Giuffrida Sallyann Thrse Giuffrida, 58, of Endicott, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 with her family at her side. The daughter of Virginia Aliquo and Salvatore Aliquo, she was born in Queens, NY on December 20, 1955. She attended Uniondale High School and Nassau Community College, and earned a B.S. degree in Meteorology and Oceanography from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, NY. It was at Brooklyn Poly that she met her husband, Sylvester Giuffrida. They married on August 5, 1978, and shortly after moved to Endicott, NY where they raised their two children, Annette Thrse and Anthony Thomas. She got tremendous enjoyment watching her children participate in numerous activities. She would regularly be seen at their school activities and competitions along with sporting events, concerts, and dance recitals. Sally was the number one fan of the adult baseball team Binghamton Royals in which her son and husband played side by side. She constantly encouraged her children to be the best they can be and excel in all aspects of life. Her tireless support of her children resulted in her proudest accomplishment of having two successful children (Annette - Architect, Anthony - Physician). Sally loved being part of a large extended family. She was very involved and would travel great distances to attend graduations and events for her 21 nieces and nephews. She sent cards to family and friends for every occasion no matter how big or small. Sally also loved taking pictures of family and friends. She went everywhere with a camera in her hand. It was not unusual to see Sally jump on stage or in front of a professional photographer to capture her picture. She would spend many hours lovingly putting together photo albums to collect all of her cherished memories. Sally was an instructor at Broome Community College in the Physical Sciences department where she taught for 25 years until December 2013. She was a great influence and mentor to many students. Her dedication to teaching was recognized by the Who's Who of American Teachers in 2003 and 2004. She taught meteorology and oceanography as well as other physical sciences. She loved teaching and was fondly called "Mrs. G" by her students. She particularly enjoyed dressing up for classes on holidays and major meteorological events such as the Spring Equinox. One of her favorite and most memorable costumes was dressing up as a groundhog for Groundhog Day. She enjoyed sharing her knowledge and passion about science with her students, friends and family. If you went anywhere with Sally you were sure to get a free lesson on many topics such as the clouds, rocks, rainbows and weather in general. She was fascinated by the sky above and was always looking upward. Sally was a very active volunteer in the community. She served as a leader in the local and state levels of Girl Scouts (Seven Lakes Girl Scout Council, Tioga East Service Unit Director, and Adult Leader Trainer), Boy Scouts (Lord Baden-Powell Boy Scout Council, Pack and Troop Committee Chairs, Eagle Scout Advisor and Badge Instructor) and NYS PTA (SER District Legislation Chairperson, and Assistant Director). She received the 1996 PTA Founder's Day District Award and the 2000 PTA Volunteer of the Year Award. She served on many boards for the schools her children attended because she believed that education was vital for the foundation of a strong community. Activities included The UE School District Foundation Board of Trustees and the RPI Executive Committee Parent Council. Sally served as the commissioner of the Crestview Heights Beaujon Hills Youth Sports Program and was also a coach for the West Corners-Deb Stars Girls Softball. A devout Catholic, she was also involved in church activities, taught CCD religious education classes, and set up an OLGC Youth Choir program. When Sally wasn't teaching or participating in committees, she was usually found singing. She was a member of the Vestal Community Chorus for 30 years where she was a very talented alto. She also enjoyed theatre and old movies; especially musicals. She enjoyed taking trips to New York City with her Daughter to see Broadway shows and to visit museums. She looked forward to the yearly hot air balloon festival and going to the various apple and pumpkin farms in the fall. Sally was very much loved by her family and friends. Her favorite quote from her favorite movie truly sums up her wonderful personality: "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others" - L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Sally was predeceased by her father, Salvatore Aliquo. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Sylvester Giuffrida; two children, her daughter Annette Thrse Levesque (Jeffrey) and son, Anthony Thomas; her mother, Virginia Aliquo of Johnson City, NY; her sisters Suzann Albanese (John) of Springfield, VA, and Nancy Long (Kenneth) of Silver Spring, MD; and her brother Michael Aliquo (Ann) of Farmingville, NY. Funeral services will be held on Monday March 17, 2014 with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 701 West Main Street, Endicott, NY at 11:00am with interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City, NY. Calling hours will be held on Sunday March 16, 2014 from 1-3PM and 6-8PM at Coleman & Daniels Funeral Home, 300 Main Street, Endicott, NY. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the newly formed Sallyann Giuffrida Scholarship Fund primarily targeted to BCC graduates further pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. Gifts may be made out to "BCC Foundation/ Sallyann Giuffrida Scholarship Fund", P.O. Box 1017, Binghamton, NY, 13902.