Diane Fields Iannuzzi

Diane Fields Iannuzzi, 79 years of age, a relatively recent resident of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and longtime resident of Forest Hills, New York, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday morning, May 18, 2025, holding the hand of her loving husband, Anthony P. Iannuzzi.

Born on July 12, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, Diane was the daughter of the late Harry Fields and Florence Hayes.

Tragically, her father passed away when she was just four years old. Diane was cared for by her Aunt and Uncle, Edna and Harry Van Horn, in Flatbush, Brooklyn. There, she was taken in by their large and loving family and attended Catholic school for three years.

In 1953, Diane's mother remarried Giovanni DelVecchio. Giovanni, a loving father to Diane, took Diane back home to her original Fort Greene apartment Soon after, the DelVecchio's had a son, John, and Diane became the proud older sister at the age of 7. She continued her Catholic education and excelled as a student, graduating Magna Cum Laude from St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn in 1967.

She married Tony in 1968. Diane began her career in social work on the Lower East Side of New York City, assisting elderly residents, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, as the city demolished old tenements to make way for public housing. She earned a fellowship from the NIMH to attend Columbia School of Social Work, graduating with honors in 1972 with her Master of Social Work degree. Her distinguished career continued with positions at Columbia’s Psychiatric Institute, Montefiore Hospital, and Jacobi Medical Center, where she served as Associate Director of Social Work.

She later became the Director of Social Work at St. Francis Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island, and then directed the pediatric cancer department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center until her retirement in 2011.

During this long and successful career she was selected to serve on the New York State Board for Social Work. While doing all of this, Diane was also a dedicated mother to her two children, Matthew Iannuzzi and Maureen Cunningham. She was an active and loving parent, serving as PTA president at both their elementary and junior high schools.

Diane also contributed to her community as a member of the District 28 Community School Board in Queens.

She will also be remembered as a loyal and supportive friend and neighbor.

Diane is survived by her husband of 57 years, Tony; her son Matthew, his wife Joanne, and their children Jakob, Sophie, and Morgan; her daughter Maureen, her husband Michael, and their children Julia, Luke, and Emma; and her brother John DelVecchio, his wife Karen, and their children Joe DelVecchio and Katie Marquez.

Family and friends will be received on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM in St. Mary’s Church; 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. Interment will follow in Saint Mary's Cemetery; 110 North Street, Ridgefield.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Diane’s memory may be made to the RVNA Parkinson’s Center - 27 Governor Street; Ridgefield, CT 06877, http://www.rvnahealth.org