Richard Anthony Giovannetti

Richard Anthony Giovannetti of Sunrise, aged 70, passed away peacefully at home on January 31, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Giovannetti; two children, Jill Giovannetti and Gary (Jennifer) Giovannetti; and his siblings Louis (Mary Lou) Giovannetti and Carolyn Soriano. Richard was born on June 12, 1945 in Portchester, NY. He served in the US Navy on the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain. On January 19, 1965 he was among the crew that retrieved the Gemini 2 capsule after a successful mission. He was married on May 18, 1969 to Patricia Majkowski. After a mid-career change, Richard began working with New York State's "Program Without Walls", caring for developmentally disabled individuals. He quickly became a supervisor while working for New York State and was elected vice president of his branch of the Civil Service Employees Association. As vice president, he was able to improve services to clients and attend conferences with leading national political figures. He retired in 2011. Richard loved golf, music, the Mets, the Jets, animals and laughter. He especially delighted in making others laugh. The wake will be at T.M. Ralph Plantation Funeral Home: 7001 N.W. 4 Street, Plantation, Florida, 33317. It will be on Wednesday from 2-4pm and again from 6-8pm. The funeral service will be on Thursday at 10am at St. Gregory's Church: 200 N. University Drive, Plantation, Florida, 33324. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Richard A. Giovannetti's name to Catholic Hospice or the ASPCA.