Genoveva Trujillo Palmieri

Genoveva “Genny” Trujillo Palmieri, beloved wife, mother, friend and lifelong community servant, passed away at age 83 on August 19, 2024 at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Born September 19, 1940, in Bogotá, Colombia, Genny was the cherished daughter of the late José Luis Trujillo and Lucía Martínez Trujillo. She was a devoted partner to the late Dominic Palmieri, her husband of 45 years, and a loving mother to Francisco L. (Suzanne) Palmieri of Bogotá, Colombia; Eduardo (Deborah) Palmieri of Guilford; Domingo (Mary Lou) Palmieri of North Haven; and Michaelangelo (Adelia) Palmieri, also of North Haven. Genny adored her 11 grandchildren: Ellis, Madeline, Michael, William, Joseph, Eduardo Jr., Byron, Dominic, Sabrina, Olivia, and Luca Palmieri. She was a devoted aunt to Lisa (Bill) George and Michelle Belch. Genny is survived by two brothers, Mauricio Trujillo of Villavicencio, Colombia, and José Trujillo of Mesa, AZ, and is predeceased by her siblings Elvira Schrader, Juan Trujillo, Fernando Trujillo and Angela Trujillo Cunningham.

Genny served the Hispanic community of New Haven throughout her life and was a champion for women’s rights. After moving from Colombia in 1954 at age 14, she settled in the Woodmont section of Milford, CT and later in New Haven. In 1958, Genny began her lifetime of work on behalf of the Latino community as one of the first employees at Centro San Jose. She was a founding member of Crossroads, Inc., the first Spanish speaking drug rehabilitation residential treatment facility in Connecticut in 1969. She advocated and worked to support domestic violence shelters in New Haven and Waterbury. Genny was a former member of the Board of Directors for Junta for Progressive Action and the New Haven/Leon Sister Cities Project. She was a certified Federal Court Spanish-Speaking Interpreter. She worked at the City of New Haven Housing Authority and was the Executive Director of Casa Otonal, a housing program for Latino senior citizens. She led the Hispanic program at Fellowship House. Genny was a Past President of the New Haven Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and a member of the National YWCA Board of Directors. Her professional career concluded as a teacher of Spanish and Latin American Studies at the New Haven Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School and the former Polly T. McCabe Center, where she helped pregnant teenage students continue their education. Genny earned a B.A. from Charter Oak State College in 2001 at the age of 60 and pursued graduate studies at Fairfield University. She had a 50+ year friendship with her closest girlfriends as a member of “The Club Girls.” Most recently, Genny was actively involved with the Quota Club of New Haven, serving as its Vice President and Secretary.

Friends are invited to visit with Genoveva’s family on Sunday, August 25th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at BEECHER & BENNETT FUNERAL HOME, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday morning, August 26th at 10:00 a.m. in St. Paul VI Parish-Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 2819 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Burial will follow in St. Lawrence Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the National Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) at <http://give.ywca.org>. Alternatively, checks may be sent to Quota International of New Haven, a community service organization, at 32 Johnson Lane, Madison, CT, 06443.To send condolences, please see Genoveva’s obituary at www.beecherandbennett.com.