Francesca Ianora Day, on a beloved borough booster’s 100th

EMERSON, N.J.—Congratulations to Francesca Ianora, who enjoyed “Francesca Ianora Day” in the borough Jan. 23 in honor of her 100th birthday.

As Mayor Danielle DiPaola noted with a photo spread on the borough’s Facebook page, the governing body celebrated Francesca with a proclamation, old friends, students, family, neighbors, a turnout from the volunteer ambulance and fire departments, the police department, and a school bus.

And a parade of well wishers who honked and cheered in passing.

It was “all the bells and whistles,” DiPaola said. She added, “Thank you to all who came out today! We made one lovely lady very happy.”

Residents posted their love and congratulations.

Jeanne Raimondi wrote of Francesca, “Such a beautiful, classy lady.”

Paula Wilson observed, “In mink with her tiara! Perfect!”

In October 2019 the governing body accepted Francesca’s resignation from the Library Board of Trustees as a regular member for a five-year term ending Dec. 31, 2020.

Shortly after, amid the holidays, it honored her many years of dedicated service to the Emerson Public Library Board of Trustees.

According to the borough’s proclamation, Francesca was born on Jan. 23, 1921 in New York City, the second of two children, and moved to Emerson in 1956 after getting married.

She and her late husband Armand raised two daughters, Elaine and Mary, both retired teachers; she has five loving grandchildren: Justin and Christian Decker, and Steven, David, and Katherine Levkoff.

She began her teaching career at the New York School for the Deaf, the English Secondary School and the Berlitz School in New York City. And shortly after moving to Emerson, Francesca began teaching elementary education. She is known as one of the most beloved and respected 5th grade teachers in the borough’s history.

Francesca taught in Emerson for 29 years “and touched the lives of each and every student she had, including this mayor,” DiPaola said in the proclamation.

Moreover, she “has volunteered as the manager of the English as a Second Language program at the Emerson Public Library for 22 years and has continued to do so through the Covid-19 health crisis,” the proclamation reads.

It adds, “As a direct result of her love of teaching, she has taught English to many in order for them to participate in the Emerson community, obtain citizenship and driver licenses, improve job performances and afforded parents the ability to better communicate with their children’s teachers.

She’s served as a valued member of the Borough of Emerson’s Library Board of Trustees for more than 24 years and served as the moderator of the Great Books Discussion Group for more than 22 years, “and continues to do so even during this Covid-19 health crisis via Zoom where members come together from surrounding towns to participate in spirited discussions over Plato, Dante and Kafka.”

Francesca worked on the Emerson Centennial Committee. She’s also a devout Catholic, serving as a lector at the Church of the Assumption for many years.

Leading up to the festivities of Francesca Ianora Day, Mayor DiPaola had organized a birthday card drive. If you have greetings you want to forward, write c/o Mayor, Emerson Borough, 146 Linwood Avenue, Emerson, NJ 07630.

Pascack Press last spoke with Francesca, Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley manager for the Emerson Library, at LVPV’s 2019 Annual International Dinner and Awards Ceremony, in Westwood, where she was recognized as the organization’s vice president.

She contributed a piece of poetry to literacyvolunteerspv.org: