Joan Marie Riforgiato, 77 years old, of Matthews Road in Portland, New York passed away Tuesday morning Sept. 25, 2012 after an extended illness at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa., surrounded by her loving family.
She was born in Jamestown, New York on June 17, 1935, the daughter of the late Theodore and Gertrude Feinen Gorka.
Joan was a homemaker all of her life. She was a member of St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church of Brocton, New York and was a former member of St Ann's Society of the former St. Patrick's Church of
Brocton, N.Y. She had also been a member of The American Legion Post 434 of Brocton, New York and
a former member of Tops # 1094 of Brocton, N.Y.
She is survived by two sons, Michael (Debbie) Riforgiato and Dana (Lisa) Riforgiato and one daughter Lisa (Brian) Fochtman; seven grandchildren Andy, Andrew, Derek, Sara, Anthony, Aaron, and Dominique and one great-grandson, Braedon. She is also survived by two brothers, Theodore "Ted" Gorka and William "Bill"
Gorka.
She was predeceased by her husband, Anthony J. Riforgiato, whom she married on October 22, 1955 and who passed away on August 20, 2009; an infant daughter Valerie; her father, Theodore D. Gorka; her mother, Gertrude Reed; her stepfather, Lowell Reed, and one brother David Reed.
Funeral services will be held at St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church on Friday, September 28, 2012 at 10 a.m. where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Rev. Joseph Walter. Interment will follow at the Portland Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, New York.
Friends are invited to call at the Morse Funeral Home of Brocton, N.Y. from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, September 27. Flowers are gratefully declined and memorials may be made to the Brocton or Portland
Fire Department Emergency Funds. Arrangements were by the Morse Funeral Home of Brocton, New York.
