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Letter to the editor

Born in a small family, she made a large one

By STEPHANIE HAYES, Times Staff Writer
Published December 27, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Family photo] Growing up without siblings, Barbara Jonnatti, 75, had six children of her own with Anthony Jonnatti, her husband of 51 years.

PALM HARBOR - Barbara Jonnatti had shelves in her home dedicated to toys.

When her seven grandchildren came over, the toys spread onto the floor. Everyone tripped and stepped over them, except for Mrs. Jonnatti.

She was down on the floor in the thick of it, playing with the kids.

* * *

People want what they don't have. Mrs. Jonnatti didn't have any siblings, and didn't grow up around kids.

So, she had six children of her own with Anthony Jonnatti, her husband of 51 years.

On their first date, she was shy, but that shyness didn't last. In later years, she'd flag down strangers in the mall if they were wearing Pittsburgh garb.

At home, she was the glue. She loved taking care of the house and maintaining family traditions. Every Friday, the whole family went out to dinner to give Mrs. Jonnatti a break from cooking.

She hosted holidays, and made sure every child had the same number of presents. She handled the mysterious details no one considers.

"My sister called me Christmas Eve and said, 'What are you going to do for Christmas dinner?'" said Mrs. Jonnatti's daughter, Sandra Jonnatti, 41. "I've never had to think about that before."

She fed her nurturing sensibilities outside of the home, too.

Mrs. Jonnatti volunteered at the Palm Harbor Library for 18 years, taking special care when children needed help finding books. For years, she was a preschool teacher at Barlow Education Center in Palm Harbor.

She did it all without a driver's license. She'd walk places, or take a bus. She got used to not driving, because she never knew otherwise.

Mrs. Jonnatti remembered everything. For four years, she worked at her son's architectural firm. When clients called, she'd keep them on the line for a half-hour asking about their kids.

She couldn't keep a secret. News spread through her family like lightning. It's not that she did it on purpose - she just loved to talk and instinctively told stories.

Last year, her children kept the ultimate secret from Mrs. Jonnatti and her husband - a big 50th anniversary party in Safety Harbor. They had to sneak Mrs. Jonnatti's wedding dress out of the house by throwing it off a balcony.

But she didn't find out.

* * *

Mrs. Jonnatti died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 75.

Her family has been looking through her closet, and thinking. She loved to shop - spent tons of time in Macy's - but there aren't many of her clothes around.

They just keep finding gifts for the grandchildren.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or 727 893-8857.

BIOGRAPHY

Barbara Jonnatti

Born: April 19, 1932.

Died: Dec. 20, 2007.

Survivors: husband, Anthony; children, Mark, Susan, David, Sandra, Sharon, Stacy; seven grandchildren.

Services: Visitation 5-7 p.m. today at Sylvan Abbey Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Road. Service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Lutheran Church of the Palms in Palm Harbor.

[Last modified December 26, 2007, 22:10:32]