Jeannette Petrolia, of Williamsburg, died at home on Oct. 31, 2014, after courageously battling cancer for several years. She was 71.
Jeannette is survived by her loving husband of 51 years, Joseph Petrolia; sons Charlie Petrolia, of Yorktown and Joe Petrolia, of Carmel, Indiana; daughter in-law, Anna Petrolia, of Yorktown; granddaughter, Brianna Petrolia, of Yorktown; and brother, Joe Ingrassia and sister-in-law, Donna Ingrassia, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Born on Aug. 12, 1943, in Portsmouth, Jeannette moved shortly thereafter with her family to Brooklyn, New York where she was raised. Her fondest childhood memories included spending time with her grandparents, Beatrice and Giuseppe Ingrassia and her loving uncles Joe and Tony and aunts, Lucille and Rose. She graduated from Catherine McAuley High School. In addition to a large extended family, she was fortunate to have had many great friends throughout her life.
After her marriage to Joe, she lived in Queens, New York and later moved to Long Island, New York after their two sons were born. In 1974, the family relocated to Hampton and a few years later, Jeannette went back to school and graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1979. Upon graduation, Jeannette would go on to work locally at VIMS, numerous political campaigns and the Virginia Air and Space Center. She was also on the Board of Directors at TNCC.
In 1995, Jeannette began working for Delaware North Companies at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. It was there that she developed education programs for high school students run by NASA astronauts. She later became GM of the Astronaut Hall of Fame and also GM for The Lodge at Geneva on the Lakes Resort in Ohio. Jeannette recently retired and moved back to Virginia.
Visitation services will be held from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3, 2014, and 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, at Bucktrout Funeral Home, 4124 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg. A Mass will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, at St Bede’s Catholic Church, 3686 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg.
Please leave online condolences for the family at Bucktrout Funeral Home.
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