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Schenectady's Gioia Ottaviano receives Patroon Award
Gioia Ottaviano, 90, is recognized with Patroon Award in Schenectady
By Dennis Yusko
Published 7:30 pm, Saturday, January 11, 2014


Gioia Ottaviano celebrates her 90th birthday with friends, family and officials on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at the Schenectady Civic Playhouse in Schenectady, N.Y. Ottaviano received the Schenectady Patroon Award, the highest honor Schenectady bestows upon its citizens. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)
      

Gioia Ottaviano's first name means "joy" in Italian, and those who know her say that is what the arts patron has given to Schenectady over the decades.

Ottaviano grew up in the Electric City during the Great Depression and worked as a teacher and librarian in city schools for 45 years. She's known as one of the most avid theatergoers in the Capital Region, and a big booster of her hometown.

On Saturday, Mayor Gary McCarthy and other elected officials recognized Ottaviano and her lifetime of service with the Patroon Award, the city's highest honor. McCarthy presented her a plaque at her 90th birthday party, which was attended by dozens of her family members and friends in the Schenectady Civic Playhouse. The mayor said Ottaviano's enthusiasm made her a model citizen. Ottaviano said she was very pleased to accept the award, especially because her mother, Amelia, received it from then-Mayor Frank J. Duci decades ago for civic duty.

"This is amazing," Ottaviano said. "I've always, always touted Schenectady as a wonderful place to live."...................>>>>...............>>>>....................http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Schenectady-s-Gioia-Ottaviano-receives-Patroon-5134920.php