12/22/1959 – 10/10/2020
Art and Shaney Cipoletti’s first child and Christmas Joy was born in Mount Lebanon, PA and grew up in Colorado Springs with seven younger siblings. After graduating from CU Boulder, she moved to Northern Virginia, where playing in a church folk group would introduce her to a group of lifelong friends. Twenty years later, she returned to Colorado with her three children. She played an active part in family’s lives, laughing through holiday fun, comforting through hardships, and celebrating countless birthdays and anniversaries.
Joy inspired many people as she created a life she would be happy living. Drawing on the community she joined in Colorado, Joy found and gave support and mentorship. As a self-employed freelance writer, she supported her children through high school and college. Additionally, she found a whole new level of physical fitness to meet the demands of her love of the outdoors – including squatting over 200 pounds and bench-pressing over 135 pounds at 60 years old!
Joy found happiness and comfort in the quiet solitude of Colorado’s mountains. In her last decade, she tried a range of outdoor activities, from cross-country skiing to canyoneering. Hoping to climb Mount Rainier for her 60th birthday, Joy took a high alpine mountaineering class. Though COVID changed plans, she continued her adventures, going on her first solo backpacking trip and hiking as often as she could. Joy fell, doing what she loved, as she descended from the summit of her 33rd Colorado 14er.
Her children (Kristin, Kevin, Anthony Giordano), siblings (Chris, Jan, Kevin, Terry, Sherri, Andrea, Michael), parents, nieces, nephews, other family, and many friends will all miss her beyond words. We remember Joy as a source of strength and inspiration, a compassionate listener, a hiker, a reader, a writer, a coffee drinker, a vegan, a mentor, a lover of life, and a source of unconditional love and kindness.
We will be planning an outdoor celebration of life in summer 2021. For those who would like to make a donation in Joy’s honor, we ask that you contribute to Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue, who brought her back to us, or to one of the charities to which she donated monthly: Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy or World Wildlife Fund.
I worked with Joy for nearly ten years during her time as a consultant and project manager at both Price Waterhouse in Washington, DC and American Management Systems in Arlington, Virginia. I remember Joy as an incredibly intelligent, energetic, and hard-working professional. She also had a great sense of humor and never failed to inspire those working with her. She will be greatly missed by her former colleagues and clients.
Joy was a huge support and example to me, mentoring and friending me through difficult times. Her JOY and warmth will be a continuing guide to me. I am so terribly sad she is gone. There are many more conversations I hoped to have with her. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to know her-she was a blessing to me, as to so many others My deepest sympathies to her family and other friends. Unexpected losses are especially difficult.
Even though Joy was two years younger than me, she was a unique role model. She managed her team with skill and imagination, while never losing sight of our individual personalities. I feel honored to have worked with her and have been a friend.
You were an amazing woman and have left your children quite a legacy. Life can be so unfair. We will miss you very much.
Joy was an inspiring woman of strength, kindness and compassion. A teacher of life lessons, a giver from the heart. It’s once in a lifetime that a true friend comes along. I am a better women, listener, mother and giver because of her. She made a mark on my life that will be forever present as I continue to walk this life’s journey without her. She will forever be in my ear encouraging me along the way. Forever in my heart- to your family all my love.
I was introduced to Joy through a friend (actually my CEO) who had worked with her at AMS. I worked with her for the following ten years and grabbed lunch and dinner with her whenever I visited the area. Remarkable, talented, warm, and giving are all understatements. I appreciated her and will miss her very much.
Although I never met this remarkable woman, my son did. He called her his Colorado Mom. He told me she was not only his friend, but also his confidante, adviser, listener, hiking buddy, class buddy, and I’m sure many other activities and roles I’ve either forgotten or not even aware of. Thank you, Joy, for being his “Colorado Mom”, from his Texas Mom.
I had the good fortune to meet Joy while at CGI, and continued to work with her over the last 10 years at Creoal. If you met her, it was impossible not to like her. She was, in every sense of the phrase, a ‘good person’. I will miss her.
Joy always made everyone feel special. We think the world of the whole family. Much love sent your way.
I’m forever grateful to have the privilege of Joy sharing her wisdom, strength and unconditional love during some of the toughest times in my life. She was incredibly smart, and such a bright light for me and many others. The parallels her and I had in our lives were no coincidence. Unimaginable coincidences that could only be brought together by a power greater than ourselves. She taught me by example and experience of how to find a better way of life, and inspired me to get out there and build a life I love! With our common love of the great outdoors, she introduced me to the Colorado Mountain Club and encouraged me to learn backcountry skiing, instead of hibernating in the winter. I can still hear her saying, breathe!
Many say life has different realms, and I truly believe that now. I know Joy’s just around the corner. I can hear her funny giggle and see her warm smile. Such a beautiful smile! I’ll see ya atop the mountains. Until we meet again, my friend. My deepest condolences to the family.
I met Joy after moving to Colorado Springs in 2012. The thing I admired most was her ability to live life intentionally. She was very pragmatic in committing to her life goals, budgeting her finances, time, and energy accordingly. I know she worked very hard and yet was committed to setting time aside for play and enjoying her family and life to the fullest. This is also why I appreciate the time we were able to spend together as friends and in service to others. A great role model, she is much loved and will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to all who love and adore her. Our world is forever changed.
We just learned of your heart breaking loss and want to tell you how sorry we are to know this. We will remember Joy and all of your family in our prayers.
❤️ Lyle and Elaine Wikner
Joy and I reconnected in the summer of 2019 for a local hike in Section 16 after we ran into each other in the grocery store earlier that year. We had a lovely sunny day and wonderful conversation. We vowed to get together more often, but life got in the way and then Covid hit. She was such a smart, energetic woman and the photos posted here capture her personality and verve for life so completely. I was so sad to follow the story the weekend of her final hike. Sending love and hugs to Kristen, Kevin, and Anthony and all who loved her.
I was shocked to learn this morning, so late, that Joy has passed away. She was a jewel to work with. We will miss you!