Gianna Marie Gambino
Gianna Marie Gambino has passed away on February 19th 2021 at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC,
surrounded by her loved ones after a 2-year battle with Osteosarcoma. Gianna was 12 years old and is survived
by her parents Carl and Jillian as well as her younger siblings Lucia, Briella and Carl Thomas. Gianna also leaves
behind her beloved maternal grandparents Tom and Carol Cararo, and her beloved paternal grandparents Carl and
Susan Gambino. Gianna was endlessly adored by a large, loving extended family including numerous Aunts, Uncles,
and cousins. Gianna was a shining example of goodness in the world, and she will remain a true inspiration to
family, friends, and classmates. She touched countless lives during her remarkable time on Earth, and will continue
to do so in spirit. Gianna was an outstanding dancer (delivering electrifying performances with the Dance With Me
competition team and the Brooklyn Cyclones Pee Wee Dance Crew), an Arista/Archon honors student at Marine
Park JHS, a choir singer for Good Shepherd Church, a saxophone player and school monitor at PS 222, a model and
child actress for cosmetics brands EM and Maybelline, and a homemade sugar scrub business owner with The
Sugar Scrub Sisters - all before the age of 13. And that was all on top of her main responsibilities as a daughter,
granddaughter, goddaughter, niece, cousin, friend, and teacher’s pet! Gianna’s smile lit up any room she entered.
Her vibrant personality was contagious, and she was the type of person everyone wanted to be around for
positivity and entertainment. The physical loss of Gianna is something that her family will never get over, but her
angelic memory will be cherished and upheld by them forever. The light she shined on the world will continue to
sparkle as everyone remembers not only the person, but also the powerful legacy she left behind. In fact, Gianna’s
remarkable reputation as a supportive, loving, kind person made such an impact on our community, that she has
recently inspired #TheGiannaEffect movement. In honor of Gianna’s upcoming 13th birthday on April 27, members
of our community are encouraged to “brighten someone’s day” with compliments, favors, appreciation and/or
acts of service every day in April. As the movement grows, Gianna’s beloved family hopes that people around the
world will “pay it forward” in the name of G by posting their uplifting gestures on social media using the hashtags
#TheGiannaEffect #FightLikeGianna and #LiveLikeGianna. For more information, visit Gianna’s legacy website at
FightLikeGianna.com. We miss our angel every day all day, and wish her a very Happy Birthday in Heaven; where
we are sure she is busy baking and dancing for the rest of our ascended family. Our warrior princess demonstrated
resilience and immense courage everyday throughout her intense battle, and that bravery now inspires us all to
remain strong whenever we feel broken. She will fill our hearts with warmth and light forever, and her beautiful
memories lift us up whenever we fall. May our newly minted angel watch over our family, friends and community.
We will always love you GG.
COURIER LIFE, APRIL 16-22, 2021 15
IN MEMORIAM
/FightLikeGianna.com
