Lifelong Connection to Danbury Hospital Culminates in a Generous Donation and Bequest Intent

Jo-Anne Price’s remarkable story of generosity reflects her lifelong connection to Danbury and its hospital. Jo-Anne grew up on Griffing Avenue; as a girl, she would often walk to Danbury Hospital to meet her late aunt, registered nurse Josephine (Melillo) Green—whom everyone affectionately called “Aunt Jaye.”

“Aunt Jaye was the pinnacle of information, help and tenderness,” said Anthony Tomanio, Jo-Anne’s brother and family historian. “She was there for every birth and illness, both serious and minor, and she was also a private-duty nurse in the community.”

Jo-Anne’s grandfather, Domenico Melillo, was a barber who provided haircuts and shaves twice a week for the Hospital’s male patients—never turning away a patient who was unable to pay for his services.

“Domenico was well-known around the Hospital and in the community,” Jo-Anne said. “As an immigrant from Italy and barber commissioner of Danbury, he was proud to be a leader in the professional community in the city and at the Hospital.”

Jo-Anne spent childhood summer days at the pool at Lions Club Park, which was at the site now occupied by the Danbury Hospital campus. When her late husband, Lou, was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, he received all of his care at Danbury Hospital’s Praxair Cancer Center—and Jo-Anne recalls telling him, “I used to swim in a pool at this very spot.”

The owner of a lumber yard in Ridgefield, Lou had been instrumental in starting Danbury’s Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, and together, the Prices worked to support the community. Throughout Lou’s illness, Jo-Anne was touched by the compassionate care the entire medical team showed him. But she was especially moved by the nurses—and the student nurses from nearby Western Connecticut State University—who reminded her of Aunt Jaye, who died in 2011.

“Aunt Jaye was a lifelong caregiver and a dedicated nurse,” said Jo-Anne. “Oncology nurses have one of the toughest jobs in the hospital, and Lou’s nurses cared so much about him.”

After Lou passed away, Jo-Anne wanted to do something for the Hospital. In 2020, she made a generous gift to support a Nurse Navigator at the Praxair Cancer Center. She also worked with her advisors to include the Hospital in her will.

“I wanted my gift to honor my husband, the team who cared for him at Danbury Hospital, and my family’s long history in Danbury,” said Jo-Anne. “I’m happy I could do this during my lifetime and in the future.”

Like Jo-Anne, you can make a heartfelt tribute to a loved one and ensure future generations experience quality care at Nuvance Health. Contact Laura Eldridge to discuss making a gift that meets your personal and charitable goals.