Obituary of Danka Velluzzi

Danka Velluzzi passed away holding the hand of her loving husband of over 53 years on December 5, 2020. She was 74.
 
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, she met Joe Velluzzi when they were students at Tarkio College in Missouri. They were the love of each other’s lives. After Joe won Danka’s heart, this brought him to meet her family. The kid from Bayonne, NJ gained their love and approval, and Danka and Joe were married in Chicago on August 13th, 1967. Danka and Joe moved to NJ in 1969. They started out in Parsippany and eventually settled in Denville, NJ in 1975 where she and Joe raised three children:  Nicholas, Danielle, and Francesca.
 
Danka graduated from of County College of Morris where she earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Danka was committed to upholding the Nightingale Pledge, serving her patients and their families with utmost integrity. Her career evolved from an emergency room nurse to a hospital floor nurse, and culminated with geriatric care and working for the Office of the Public Guardian of New Jersey. She retired in 2020. She was cherished among her co-workers, regarded as a source of fun and camaraderie, and always up for a martini and a good meal. She was dedicated to her work and service. Danka was an avid New York Giants fan, but above all else, Danka was devoted to her family.

As a mother, she was a dedicated hockey mom, touring the region’s ice rinks every winter, year after year. She spent many seasons cheering on her daughters at softball and soccer fields. As her children grew and had families of their own, Danka could be found rooting for her grandchildren from the sidelines of the soccer field. Danka received tremendous joy from her grandchildren.  She loved hosting them for sleepovers, watching them compete, and learning about their travels and adventures. More than anything, she enjoyed seeing them grow, change and come into their own.

Danka was an only child, though she loved and was adored by her extended family and friends. Her cousins, nieces, and nephews loved her dearly. She was often looked upon as a second mother and grandmother, an outcome and demonstration of love and support she so easily exuded. The love she projected is beyond description and more than words can tell. She will be missed profoundly.
 
She is survived by her beloved husband, Joseph Velluzzi of Denville, NJ, her loving children Nicholas Velluzzi and his wife Catherine Veninga of Walla Walla, WA, Danielle and her husband Joe Alessandra of Roxbury, NJ, and Francesca Velluzzi of Del Ray Beach, FL.  She is also survived by her grandchildren Joseph, Matthew and Patrick Alessandra and Ada and Henry Veninga Velluzzi along with many cousins, nieces, nephews, and her 102-year-old Aunt Mirjana in Chicago.
 
All services will be held privately under the direction of Norman Dean Home for Services 16 Righter Ave Denville, NJ 07834 www.normandean.com.
 
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research by way of inmemof.org.