Janet Vacca

Janet Passarelli Vacca, a happy and loving woman who brought warmth, laughter, and joy to everyone she met passed away peacefully on February 8, 2026. She was born on March 31, 1934, at New Rochelle Hospital to Carmine and Helen (Chiodo) Passarelli.

Janet was predeceased by her beloved husband, Albert Vacca, whom she married on October 28, 1956, at St. Gabriel’s Church in New Rochelle. Together they shared a beautiful life filled with laughter, travel, and good friendships until Albert’s passing in 1997.

A proud graduate of New Rochelle High School, Janet earned a cosmetology degree and began her career as a hairdresser at Mario’s Beauty Lounge in Larchmont, working alongside her sister Marie and brother-in-law. Even early on, Janet had a gift for making people feel good, not just about how they looked, but about themselves.

Janet later chose to stay home to raise her three children. She was an active member of the Pelham Civics Association and devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family. Her home was always welcoming, filled with warmth, conversation, coffee, Entenmann’s cakes and card games. She loved sitting around a card table with her friends, where the cards mattered less than the laughs, stories, and time spent together.

Janet had an undeniable love for life. She especially enjoyed traveling with her husband and friends to Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and St. Martin, places that became second homes to her. In her later years, she was an active member of the Pelham Senior Citizens Club and continued to enjoy vacations with family and friends, creating memories wherever she went.

Music brought Janet great happiness, especially the timeless sounds of Frank Sinatra and Alfio. She also loved playing Joker Poker machines, always with enthusiasm and a smile, whether she was winning or not.

Above all else, Janet will be remembered as a happy woman; kind, social, stylish, and full of life. She found joy in people, in simple pleasures, and in being surrounded by those she loved. To Janet, everyone and everything was “amazing,” a word she used often and sincerely, reflecting the way she saw the world and the goodness in it.

She is survived by her three children: Paul Vacca of New Rochelle, and his children Sierra and Skyler; John Vacca and his wife Michele of Valhalla, and their children Nicholas and Alexis; Valerie Saccomanno and her husband Pat of Eastchester, and their children Dean and Jessica.

Janet is predeceased by her sisters, Loretta Zumpano and Marie Bell, with whom she shared a close bond throughout her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in her name, a cause that was always near and dear to her heart.

A celebration of Janet's life will be held on Friday February 20, 2026 between the hours of 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm at pelham Funeral Home, located at 64 Lincoln Ave, Pelham NY 10803. A Mass  will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026 , at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 575 Fowler Avenue, Pelham Manor, New York.