Michele Sirianni Resident Education Fund

“Michele had a special way about her,” recalled Joseph Sirianni as he described his late wife. “She would make people feel at ease. She was such a positive and encouraging person with a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh.”

Michele and Joseph were high school sweethearts who met at a party in Niagara Falls. They married in 1979, started a family and settled down in Grand Island. Michele stayed home with their three children—Valerie, Stephen and Francis— until they were school-aged, then entered the workforce as a counselor for the Niagara Falls Boys and Girl Club.

After a few years, Michele moved on to Sisters Hospital, where she would spend the next 25 years, and worked her way up to the hospital’s Residency Coordinator in the OB/GYN department. She loved working with young resident doctors, many of whom were in the country for the first time or far away from their families, and often served as their stand in “mom” on their way to successful medical careers. Her dedication to her own family never wavered, and she always prioritized attending her children’s school and sports functions, and being there for them, Joseph, her parents and her siblings.

In 2013, Michele was diagnosed with cancer, but she remained positive and dedicated to making sure her family would be taken care of “She had a certain grace about her, even in the toughest of times,” said Joseph. Sadly, the following year, Michele lost her hard-fought battle.

To honor Michele’s legacy, Joseph and their children turned to the Community Foundation to establish the Michele Sirianni Resident Education Fund, which supports first year OB/GYN residents at Sisters Hospital with educational costs such as books and incidentals. “Michele loved babies and children, and there is no better way to honor her than by helping a future doctor that will one day be responsible for delivering a new life into this world,” Joseph said. Through the fund, Michele’s positivity and encouragement will live on forever.

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