Jeanette Ann Niland

Jeanette (Fantozzi) Niland passed away on December 16, 2022 at her home with her family by her side. She was the loving wife of Joseph Niland, who passed away earlier this year on their 62nd wedding anniversary.

Jeanette is survived by her loving sons and their spouses, Mark and Joanne of Simsbury and their daughter Dana; Matthew and Denise Niland of Plantsville and their children Tanner and Rebecca; and her grandchildren Tara Raczka and her fiancé Dan LaNoir, Christian Raczka and Mitchell Raczka. Besides her husband Joe, she was predeceased by her daughter Lisa and grandson Sean.

She also leaves her brother Tony Fantozzi (Patty); her Niland in-laws Cheri, Evelyn, Anne, Bill and Rose; her son-in-law Michael Razcka; her aunts Dee and Tommie and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and her brothers-in-law Ed and Ray Niland, and Joe Murphy.

Jeanette was born in Southington on November 14, 1936 to Julia and Fred Fantozzi, and graduated Southington High School in 1954. She worked with her parents at the family restaurant and as a secretary at an insurance company. She met the love of her life, Joe Niland, and they married in 1960, settled in Southington and raised their three children there in a house filled with laughter, love, music and at times aquariums, ducks, rabbits and beagles. Jeanette became a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts and loved to decorate her house with fabulous flea market, tag sale and consignment store finds and she was a warm hostess for many family gatherings. She cherished spending time with her life-long friends, joining them for special occasion dinners, vacations or coffee around the kitchen table. She always enjoyed going to concerts with Joe and taking the family to the movies (typically comedies that reflected her wacky, irreverent sense of humor). When she wasn’t catching a UCONN basketball game on TV and engaging in post-game analysis with her good friend and cousin John, she was watching the Boston Celtics or QVC. Her family has many fond memories of family adventures at Lake Winnipesaukee (as navigator and spotter on the water skiing boat) and at her and Joe’s house in Vermont.

The family would like to thank Jeanette’s doctors and caregivers at UCONN and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and her caregiving team, most especially Heather, Kerine, Cynthia, and Ruth.

A Celebration of Life for Jeanette and Joseph will be held at a date to be announced. The DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St. Southington is assisting with arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.dellavecchiasouthington.com

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jeanette’s name can be made to the National Pancreas Foundation (www.pancreasfoundation.org), or The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (www.adaa.org)