Joseph Paul Giusti, 81, of Lower Paxton Township, died January 30, 2017. Born on March 4, 1935, he was the son of Joseph and Ellen Giusti, raised in Harrisburg, and a 1953 graduate of Harrisburg Catholic High School. He was a long time member of St. Margaret Mary Parish. Giusti is survived by his wife, Marie Mazza Giusti, to whom he was married for 57 years. Also surviving are three daughters, Jeannine Dean of Wexford, PA, her husband, Craig, and two daughters, Emily and Natalie; Lynn O'Connor, of Pittsburgh, PA, and her two children, Luke and Clare; and Susan Giusti who resides in Harrisburg, PA. Also surviving are sisters-in-law, Anita Fink and Margaret Craig, brother-in-law William Craig, and many nieces and nephews and cousins in this area. He was pre-deceased by his sisters, Gina Nelson and Lynn Filachione and brother, Aldo Giusti.
Joseph received his BA degree from Villanova University and his Master's degree in Business Administration and his Doctor's degree from The Pennsylvania State University. He also received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA.
Prior to his 1998 retirement, Giusti was Director of Education Programs and Scholarships for Global Resource Development at AMP Incorporated. He joined the Fortune 200 company in 1987 to direct the design, development, and implementation of the worldwide AMP Engineering Education Program, and the AMP Scholars Program. The programs were implemented in 52 countries and Giusti traveled to 20 during his tenure.
His entry into the private sector followed many years of experience in public institutions of higher education. Between mid-1979 and late 1987 he served at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne as Chancellor, and also as Professor of Higher Education.
Prior to that, Giusti had served as the inaugural Campus Executive Officer of The Pennsylvania State University's Beaver Campus from 1965 to 1979. As CEO, Giusti directed the campus's establishment to its growth into a 94-acre campus with then ten major buildings. Giusti also was a faculty member and held academic rank in the areas of Business Administration at St. Vincent College, and Education at The Pennsylvania State University.
Author of numerous articles in various professional journals, Giusti made contributions to textbooks both in administrative financial management and in education. During 1984-85 he was project director of the Indiana Conference of Higher Education's study regarding The Higher Education Act of 1965.
Giusti had been active in a variety of organizations. He served as a member of: the board of directors of The Medical Center of Beaver County, Inc., having served three terms as president of the board and then as director emeritus; the National Advisory Committee to the Hemolytic Disease Study Group of the National Institutes of Health; the Pennsylvania Association of Two-Year Colleges, having served two terms as president of the Beaver County Council of Higher Learning; the Beaver Campus Advisory Board, and then as director emeritus; the Executive Committee of the Allen County United Way, Fort Wayne; the Board of Directors of Parkview Memorial Hospital, Fort Wayne; the Board of Directors of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. Giusti received various honors and awards, among them, in 1979, both the Senate of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives passed resolutions commending Giusti for his contributions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1980, the Trustees of The Pennsylvania State University, in conjunction with the Beaver Campus Advisory Board and faculty, honored Giusti by naming the campus/community cultural center's 1,000 seat amphitheater the J.P. Giusti Amphitheater.
Visitation will be held on Friday from 1:30 to 2:30 at St. Margaret Mary Church, 2800 Paxton Church Road. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:30 with Father Paul Helwig as celebrant. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Capital Campaign, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Church, 2848 Herr St., Harrisburg, PA 17103, or the J.P. Giusti Amphitheater, Penn State Beaver Campus, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061.
The Dailey Funeral Home is honored to serve the Giusti family.
We are sending our thoughts and prayers from California. We are so sorry we cannot share our thoughts in person.
May all your fond memories cover your hearts and help to bring you peace.