Christine Giani

Age 96, passed away at home in San Carlos, CA on Monday, January 4, 2021 from complications due to late stage Alzheimer’s. She was a proud Italian American who embraced her Italian heritage through family, food and celebrations.

Christine was born as Cristina Giachino on April 17, 1924, in Sparone, Italy. She was the daughter of John Giachino, a miner and businessman and Maria Anna (Giachin Tabornin) Giachino, both also born in Sparone. Christine outlived her siblings: Mary (Giuseppe Piccirillo) , Katie (John Costa), John, Dominic and Pete.

In 1937, at 13, Christine immigrated to the US and lived in New York City’s Greenwich Village. And then at 16, her parents sent her to San Francisco to live with her sisters Mary and Katie.

Once in San Francisco, Christine embraced North Beach’s Italian community, participating in dances, festivals, parades and sharing meals with her family. It was at a dance with Italian soldiers that Christine met her future husband, Carlo Giani, an Italian WW II POW who was stationed at Camp Knight in Alameda. Carlo was a great dancer and spoke beautiful Italian. She was hooked and her parents approved. At the end of WWII Carlo returned to his home town of Venice, Italy. He sent for her and they were married in Venice in 1946. A year later she moved back to San Francisco and Carlo followed soon after. Once settled back in North Beach Christine and Carlo enjoyed close relationships with her family and a tight group of POW couples that became a second family to them. Christine worked for Bank of America until the birth of their first daughter Carla Christine who was soon followed by Anita Paula (Ward).

In the late 1950s, Christine and Carlo moved to Millbrae to raise their daughters. And then in 1966, a very youthful Christine gave birth to Paul at the age of 42, completing their family of five. Christine lived in Millbrae until 2012 when she moved to San Carlos to be closer to her son, Paul, and his family.

Christine departs planet earth leaving behind her older of two daughters, Carla Christine Giani and her son Paul Anthony Giani. Christine was a mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, aunt, great aunt and great-great aunt. She loved her family. She was proud to be the Noni to Tracy Abshire Glass, Arthur Carl Bodley, Robert Carlo Giani, David Anthony Giani and Emily Elizabeth Giani and great-grand mother to Trevon (Abshire) and Rahja (Abshire). She was also aunt to her brother Jack Giachino’s son, Robert Giachino. Her niece and best friend Catherine Piccirillo Baccari (her sister Mary’s daughter) passed away in 2012.

A private service will be held at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo where she will be laid to rest with her husband Carlo who died in 1998.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.