Obituary of Jean Gabrielle DiTaranto

Jean Gabrielle DiTaranto (nee Orlando), age 89 years of Glassboro, formerly of Cinnaminson, passed away peacefully at home on December 21, 2020 with her daughters at her side. Beloved wife of the late Thomas. Devoted mother of Gina Gallaher (Wes) and Gabrielle Franchetti (Thomas). Grandmother, lovingly known as Nini, of Wesley, Robert Jr., Thomas (Heather) and Giovanna (Christopher). Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. After graduating from high school, Jean worked several years in Civil Service. She met the love of her life on a blind date and married on January 21, 1956. Together with Tom they raised a beautiful family and encouraged their daughters to always aim high. Among Jean’s passions were cooking and baking. Many good times were spent at the dinner table and her recipes have been passed down through generations. An avid reader, Jean was quite accomplished both as a scholar and teacher. In 1975, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Master’s Degree from Glassboro State. She went on to spend many years in the Medford School District teaching young people and encouraging them, as she always did with her children and grandchildren. After a successful career, Jean adopted the full-time job of bringing her daughters and grandchildren happiness along with her husband. That happiness came through planning family vacations, endless summers at the shore, attending recitals and cheering on the grandchildren, never missing an event. Jean loved to share knowledge, wisdom and life lessons with friends and family who were lucky enough to have spent time with her. Those who knew her will remember her vibrancy, her smile, her love of learning and teaching and most importantly: her caring way. Due to the current health crisis caused by COVID19, all services are being held privately and at the convenience of the family, under the direction of the Falco/Caruso & Leonard Funeral Home. Donations in Jean’s memory can be made to the Medford Education Fund, a non-profit which raises funds to support educational programs for the students of the K-8 Medford Public Schools. Checks can be made payable to MEF and mailed to: PO Box 71 Medford, NJ 08055 Nini Some knew her as Nini. Some as Jeanie. Some as Jean, or Aunt Jean. Some as Mom. Some as Mrs. DiTaranto. But no matter who you were, You knew her smile. It was perfect and powerful. Close your eyes and I bet you can picture it. That smile represented her loving way and compassionate approach. It wasn’t just reserved for family. She showed it to friends, friends of friends, her students, strangers at the grocery store. Her smile was the most literal depiction of her fun-loving, warm and vibrant approach towards life. Nini was smart... really smart! You could not out-duel her in Jeopardy and she even tried out for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. That intelligence was shared with all of us, whether it was Italian history, British Literature or cookie recipes. At her core, Nini was a teacher. The best teachers share wisdom, guide us, make us better and have real, lasting impact on our lives - impact that we carry forth, for life. In that sense, we were all lucky to have learned from Mrs. DiTaranto... Or Mom... Or Jean/Aunt Jean… Or Jeanie... Or as I always knew her: Nini. We love you Nini Rest In Peace. Love, Robert Jr.