Joanna Disanti

On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Joanna Balistreri Di Santi, loving wife and mother of two children, passed away at the age of 81.

Joanna was born on June 26, 1940, in San Francisco, CA, to Baptiste Balistreri, a well-known commercial fisherman at the San Francisco Warf, and Josephine Sacuzzo Balistreri. She grew up in The City’s North Beach neighborhood, in the midst of a community steeped in Italian heritage. Joanna attended Sisters of the Presentation All-Girls School in San Francisco. It was during these years that she met her husband and life-long best friend.

In 1966, Joanna married her loving and devoted husband, Natale Di Santi. Living in Corte Madera, CA, they raised two children together, Cirilla and Nat. They became owners of The Lombard Street Cleaners in San Francisco, a business they grew for over two decades. It was here that strong relationships and lasting friendships were built.

Joanna had a heart of gold, always thoughtful and caring. Everywhere she went, she made friends. Joanna was known for her great sense of humor and her kind, generous heart. She donated to many charities throughout the Bay Area, including many animal organizations. Everyone who knew Joanna knew of her love and dedication to her family. Her husband and children were her “everything”, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for those she loved and cared for. At home, doors were always open and people were welcome at any hour of the day or night. She was always ready to lend a hand for those in need. Joanna was a woman of wisdom and knowledge who freely shared with others. Despite her generous nature, there were two things, though, that she wouldn’t share: her recipe for her Marin County Fair 1st Place award winning pineapple upside-down cake and her Sicilian wine cake recipe! Yes, Joanna was a phenomenal baker and cook, whose talents in the kitchen were only surpassed by her sense of humor and hilarious life stories that lit up a room. Her laugh was contagious and her kindness and giving nature left a mark on everyone that knew her. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, aunt, and a friend to many. She will be dearly missed.

Joanna was preceded in death by her father, Baptiste, her mother, Josephine, and her older brother, Sal. She is survived by her husband, Natale, her daughter, Cirilla, her son, Nat, her daughter-in-law, Jenny, her sister-in-law, Mary, as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Her loyal dog, Scruffy, also misses her dearly.

Joanna will be forever in our hearts.