JoEllen Martino

January 8, 2021

GENEVA - After a long illness, JoEllen Martino passed away on January 8, 2021, finally at peace and comfortable. JoEllen was a kind, loving, smart, hard working women. She was selfless and raised her family to love everyone and help those in need. There will be no prior calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, in St. Francis de Sales Church. Burial will follow in Glenwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions, in her memory, may be made to Pathway Home of the Finger Lakes Inc., 529 State Route 414, Seneca Falls, NY 13148. . She was born in 1945 in Brooklyn, New York and lived on Long Island for 20 years. She graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1968 with a degree in Food Service Management. She then studied law for 2 years, and then went back into the food service field, working for Saga Food Service in New Jersey, White Plains, Syracuse, and Rochester in various capacities. She married Ronald J. Martino in Geneva, New York in 1973 and has resided in Geneva for the past 48 years. She worked as the food and beverage manager at Belhurst Castle and Ontario Day care center. In 1985, she became the School Food Service Director for Geneva City Schools and worked in that capacity for over 23 years, when she retired, working occasionally as a consultant for BOCES. During her time at Geneva Schools, she was the president of the Finger Lakes School Nutrition Association several times, was a permanent member of the OGS Bureau of Donated Foods for School Food Service for over 12 years and was on the Executive Board for the NYS School Nutrition Association in several capacities as Chairs of several committees. She was instrumental in bringing the Farm to School movement to schools in NYS and sat on several committees which brought together farmers and school food service personnel. She was a tireless proponent of child nutrition and while at Geneva Schools, started many programs such as summer feeding, after school snack programs, breakfast programs and many other programs which benefited children. She worked with teachers tirelessly and instituted the Manners Program, for which she won a State Award. She also won, with the help of Mrs. Barbara Heinzman, 1 national Apple award, 2 state Apple awards (NYS Apple Association), and many state nutrition awards for various projects, all of which involved child nutrition. She leaves behind her husband, Ronald of 47 years; three children, Dr. Jenny Martino, Mike (Ruby) Martino, Amy (Jesse) Richardell; six grandchildren, Laurence, Athena, Alyssa and Mia Martino and Luca and Rocco Richardell; and two of the best friends a person could ask for, Dom and Kathy Vedora. She was predeceased by her parents, Fred and Dorothy Dyson of Saratoga Springs, NY. She also leaves behind her sisters Barbara (Art) Westerberg, Julie (Kurt) Swartz and brother Robert (Joanne) Dyson, several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. We would like to thank Dr. Mark Ryan, her physician for decades, who has provided the most wonderful medical care and support a person could ask for. She was a wonderful woman, mother, wife and will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers please provide donations to the Pathway House in Seneca Falls, NY, where she spent her last few days in peace, comfort, and surrounded by love.