Celia Giardino

Celia D. Giardino, 83, died on Monday, April 3, 2017, after a prolonged illness in Florida. Mrs. Giardino was born in New York City in 1933. She graduated from the Good Shepherd School and later St. Mary’s High School. Mrs. Giardino was a graduate of Fashion Design at The Traphagen School of Fashion in Midtown Manhattan, under the direction of Ethel Traphagen. Her focus of design study was women’s fashion, millinery, and accessories, as well as clothing for toddlers and children. Mrs. Giardino worked as a graphic artist designing advertising artwork for several New York City newspapers. During her time at Traphagen, she was awarded for her skills in: Design (women’s apparel), Illustrative Methods, Fashion Sketching, and Color Rendering. She was also selected to appear in a fashion show held by the Traphagen School at the Hotel Astor, to raise funds for Multiple Sclerosis Research. Later that same year, she received distinction at the Traphagen School for a watercolor painting of a leopard and a Christmas morning costume. These pieces by Mrs. Giardino were on exhibit in the school’s Reception Hall, then on tour and displayed at high schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and Women’s Clubs throughout the country. A former resident of Bound Brook, Mrs. Giardino was a devout Catholic and former communicant of St. Mary of Czestochowa Church. She worked at the family business, Permaseal Manufacturing Corporation, in Middlesex, as an administrative assistant. Mrs. Giardino was an avid baker, following in the tradition of her father who was Head Pastry Chef at the Hotel Statler in New York City, where he met Mrs. Giardino’s mother. She spoke French fluently and was also very accomplished in the arts of watercolor painting and sketching. She enjoyed swimming, going to the beach, travel, cooking, volunteer work, taking photos of landscapes and buildings to sketch and paint, Broadway musicals, a wide variety of music from classical to rock, and mystery shows. Her biggest joy, by far, came from being with her grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughter, Paula Williams, who passed away in 2012. She was also predeceased by her older brother and her parents. Mrs. Giardino is survived by her husband of sixty-one years, Gene Giardino. She is also survived by a son, Eugene Giardino (Middlesex County), Barbara Martin of Ocean County, and Anne McCormick and her husband Kenneth J. McCormick III of Hunterdon County. She is survived by five granddaughters, five grandsons, and one great-granddaughter. She is also survived by one nephew and five nieces. Funeral services will be 8:45 A.M. Saturday, April 8, at the funeral home, followed by a 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Mt. Virgin Roman Catholic Church, Middlesex. Entombment will be at Resurrection Burial Park, Piscataway. Friends will be received at the funeral home 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 P.M. Friday.