Janet L. Picerno

September 16, 1942 - January 1, 2013

Janet L. Picerno, 70, of New Britain, was born in Buffalo, NY on Sept. 16, 1942, where she attended local public schools. She graduated as a French major and Spanish minor with high honors from the State University of New York at Binghamton Harpur College. She received her Master of Arts degree in Romance Languages and Literature from UConn, and her sixth-year teaching certificate from CCSU. Janet began her teaching career as a foreign language instructor in the Williamsville, NY public school system in 1966, and continued teaching Spanish in the Wethersfield, CT school system until her retirement in 2006. Janet was a member of several academic organizations, among them the Connecticut Council of Language Teachers, whose annual Fall conferences she continued to chair for many years, the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and the UConn and Harpur College Alumni Associations. Janet was a dedicated communicant of the First Lutheran Church of the Reformation in New Britain, as well as a member of its vocal and bell choirs, its Altar Guild, and its Outreach Committee. She was a gifted ballroom dancer and a devotee of art, music, and the theater. Janet is survived by her loving husband Richard, her cherished children Alisa M. Gaudiosi of Simsbury, and Dr. Matthew R. Picerno of Bristol, RI, as well as her adored grandchildren Saffron Marie and Sebastian Lewis Gaudiosi, and Sophia Grace Picerno. She also leaves three brothers and several nieces and nephews. She will be forever remembered, missed, and loved by everyone she touched. Calling hours are Friday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at Carlson Funeral Home, 45 Franklin Square, New Britain. Funeral services will follow Friday 11 AM at First Lutheran Church, 77 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Lutheran Church or The American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492. Please share a memory or note of sympathy by clicking on "Add Condolences" at the bottom of this page.