Giovanni Palazzolo

Giovanni Palazzolo of Jekyll Island, Georgia passed away on November 18, 2022. Born in 1928, Giovanni grew up in the resort town of Taormina on Sicily’s eastern coast. In his youth, he was an avid swimmer and soccer player. In his early 20’s, he transferred to Palermo where he finished his Italian university studies and began work as a national employee at the U.S. Consulate General. His language, analytical and interpersonal skills helped make him the senior national employee at the Consulate by the time he emigrated to the United States in1969, following marriage to a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.

In the United States, Giovanni initially taught Italian at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington while completing a Master’s Degree in International Studies at American University.

After obtaining U.S. citizenship, he successfully passed exams to become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. His first post in Washington was as the officer responsible for several countries in the Caribbean. He and his wife were then assigned in tandem to a number of diplomatic posts overseas. He served with increasing responsibilities in positions at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels and the U.S. Embassy in Algeria.

After his retirement from the U.S. State Department, Giovanni and his wife divided their time for many years between a home they had purchased some years previously on Jekyll Island and a home in his home town of Taormina. They also traveled frequently abroad, returning almost every year to a favorite Club Med in the Bahamas. On Jekyll the couple immersed themselves in the tennis community and Giovanni renewed his passion for the water while enjoying the many other amenities the island has to offer.

Giovanni is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dell, and by several nieces and nephews in Italy. The family plans a private burial service. Memorial donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee or, locally, Memory Matters at 2803 Sherwood Dr, Brunswick, Georgia.

Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. www.edomillerandsons.com