Joan (Manzelli) Coco

Joan Manzelli Coco, 88, passed away on October 5th after a short illness. Joan grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attended Cambridge Latin High School. She received her BS in Mathematics from Northeastern University in the early 1960s. Joan spent the first 15 years of her professional life as a computer programmer/developer at a time when women didn’t do that kind of thing.

She met and married her husband Richard in the early 1970s and moved to Reading shortly thereafter to raise their family. She was very active in town; volunteering at the school libraries, with the Girl Scouts, at Saint Athanasius Parish, and as the chair of the Reading SpED-PAC. She was a Reading Town Meeting member for many years, served on the Reading Council of Aging and the regional board for the Department of Developmental Services. Joan loved her family and friends. She loved the Cape, to travel, to cook, to watch the Patriots, Red Sox & Jeopardy! and to play cribbage with friends.

Joan is survived by her husband of 55 years Richard, her daughter Susan, and son Robert, all of Reading. Joan was the daughter of the late Edna (Andrews) and Michael Manzelli of Cambridge. She is predeceased by her brother, Michael Manzelli, Jr. of Belmont.

Funeral from the Barile – Cota Family Funeral Home, 335 Park St. (corner of Park St. & RT 28) NORTH READING at READING line on Saturday, October 10th at 10am followed by a Funeral Mass Celebrating Joan’s Eternal Life in St. Athanasius Church, 300 Haverhill St. Reading at 11am. Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Joan’s Family on Friday, October 9th from 4-7pm in the Funeral Home. Parking attendants available. Interment Wood End Cemetery, Reading.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Joan’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl. Memphis TN, 38105 or by referring to the link below.

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome