Obituary of Joanna S. Delia

Joanna S. Delia (née Sodano), a longtime Berkeley Heights resident, formerly of Madison, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family on Saturday, June 11, 2022. She was 98.

Joanna was born in Madison on March 23, 1924, to the late James and Carmella Sodano. She was raised in Madison with her five siblings and attended St. Vincent’s School and Madison High School. Being that her father was a rose grower in Madison, Joanna was raised with a love of flowers and gardening that extended throughout her life.

After graduating high school, Joanna attended Berkeley Secretarial School. She was an early career woman, working from the time she was 19 until the age of 80 as a secretary and later bookkeeper for Atlantic Building Supply  in Chatham, NJ. It was said by the many builders who knew her over the years that she ran the place. 

Joanna married her beloved husband, the late Coney H. Delia a life long resident of Berkeley Heights, on May 19, 1962, and bought a house a year later on Chaucer Drive in Berkeley Heights where she raised her family and lived the rest of her life. 

 A devout catholic, Joanna was a parishioner of St. Vincent Martyr Church while living in Madison, and later a parishioner of Little Flower parish in Berkeley Heights. 

Aside from her career, Joanna loved and cherished helping and caring for her family. She was always the one there to help in any circumstance.  She loved hosting and entertaining during the holidays, and her family adored her Italian cooking and baking specialties especially her meatballs, Mamie cookies, cheesecake, and pizzas.

Joanna loved music; she studied voice and piano and sang at weddings and in the church choir in Berkeley Heights. At the age 65 she bought a red convertible with a white canvas top that she loved to drive fulfilling a life-long dream. In her younger years she enjoyed playing volleyball with friends and going biking and walking with her husband. She liked to vacation down the shore with her family first in Wildwood Crest and later in Beach Haven. A very friendly and vivacious person she loved meeting people often making lasting friends. 

She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her and will always be remembered for being young at heart. 

In addition to her parents, Joanna was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 38 years, Coney H. Delia in 2000; her brothers Michael, Nuefielo, and Tony Sodano; and her sisters Mary Siciliano and Celeste Sodano. She is survived by her son Michael Delia of Berkeley Heights; her daughter Teresa Delia and her husband Kevin Johnson of Bridgewater; her cherished grandchildren Alyssa and Scott; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a visitation for Joanna from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, held at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison.

All may gather at the funeral home at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, prior to a Liturgy of Christian Burial that will be celebrated at 10:30 AM at St. Vincent Martyr Church, 26 Green Village Road, Madison. Those who wish to attend the Funeral Mass virtually can visit svmnj.org.

Interment will follow at St. Vincent’s Cemetery, Madison.

Charitable contributions in Joanna’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.