Annette DiGiovanni 1955-2026
NILES — Annette DiGiovanni, 70, died in the arms of her daughter and son-in-law on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.
She was born Dec. 4, 1955, at St. Joseph Hospital in Warren, the daughter of Benedetto “Uncle Benny” DiGiovanni and Despina “Dorothy” Diakakis DiGiovanni.
A mosaic personality, she was fiercely independent but loved her family hard. Her grandmother, Persephone, was born on the Grecian Isle of Rhodes and Annette was raised to cherish her Greek heritage. She delighted in jewelry, gyros, souvlaki, dancing and other cultural touchstones of the Old Country, consuming them as often as possible at the St. Demetrios Greek Festival each summer.
Still an American girl, putting in over 20 years with the UAW at GM Lordstown, she worked every position on the assembly line with dexterity and dependability.
She loved Ohio, Florida and the Rocky Mountains. A lifelong fan of horse racing, she made a celebration of all three legs of the Triple Crown each year. But nothing delighted her more than spending time with her granddaughter, Brooke. Partners in crime and companions in adventure, Brooke and Annette formed a unique bond. They loved the water and gloried on summer boating excursions to Cleveland and Cedar Point. They were no strangers to the beaches of Florida and learned to love Gulf Coast sunsets together. When not adventuring, it was easy to find them poolside, behind her longest tenured home on Trumbull Drive in Niles.
Annette leaves behind a brother, Michael of Warren; and two aunts, Mary and Tina. Her daughter is Angela Pietrangeli Dobson, married to Patrick. In addition to Brooke, she has a grandson, Santino Benedetto Dobson. She also leaves behind cousins, nieces and nephews, and her lifelong best friends, Dava Hirsch and Patty Wyatt.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Family and friends may pay tribute to Annette during memorial calling hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel of Warren, 1884 North Road NE.
Family and friends may visit www.peterrossiandsonfh.com to view this obituary and send condolences to Annette’s family.
(special notice)