Mr. Joseph M. Giramma

Joseph Mario Giramma, 73, died Thursday, September 8, 2022 at his home in West Stockbridge, MA. He was born in Nocelleto, Italy to the late Sisto and Angelina Giramma, and immigrated to Providence, RI in 1960. He graduated from Cranston East H.S. in 1968 where he became the third highest ranking high school wrestler in New England. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Bard College, worked in the Netherlands for Phillips Corp., then earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington. Joseph spent many years in San Francisco where he worked for Citigroup and Bank of America, and it was there he met and married his wife Kelly Clady-Giramma in 2002. The couple moved to Suzhou, China for 3 years, then relocated to the Berkshires in 2007. They later took a one-year sabbatical to Kunming, China, for Joseph to teach at Yunnan University. Mr. G,” as he was fondly known as at Pittsfield High School where he taught, was beloved by staff and students alike. Besides his wife Kelly of West Stockbridge, Joseph is survived by their son Robert Joseph Clady of Monument Mt. H.S., as well as his adult children Aubrey, Maximillian, Ursula, and Joseph. He is also survived by a sister, Margherita DaCosta, his brothers Giovanni and Louis Giramma, and 9 nieces and nephews. Joseph leaves behind extensive family in Italy whom he visited frequently including Antonio, Domenico, Margherita, and Maddelena Zambuco. Besides his parents he is pre-deceased by Giuseppe and Francesca Zambuco. Joseph lived an incredibly passionate and adventurous life. He travelled extensively to nearly every continent on the globe, and lived abroad numerous times including in Arezzo Italy, Paris, France, and Cuernavaca Mexico. He was a prolific artist and his paintings and sculptures have sold in galleries in San Francisco, New York, and the Berkshires. He loved Giuseppe Verdi operas, the art of Vermeer, and the poetry of Walt Whitman. Joseph was a public library patron his whole life. He read voraciously and at one time had a collection of over 10,000 books. The funeral service for Mr. Joseph M. Giramma will be held on Saturday, October 1st at 11am at the Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240. Calling hours will begin at 9:30am. In lieu of flowers, donations to defray costs of his memorial may be made to Kelly Clady-Giramma in care of the funeral home. Alternatively, charitable donations may be made in his honor to the West Stockbridge Library https://weststockbridgepl.org/contact-us/ or to the Art Department at Pittsfield, H.S. https://pittsfieldhigh.pittsfield.net/cms/one.aspx?portalId=1057223&pageId=5328330 where some of Joseph’s art will be donated.

Mr. Joseph M. Giramma

July 8, 1949 - September 8, 2022