Surrounded by loved ones and community members, beloved children’s book author, former educator, and hospice resident Joan Pizzo read her story “Amy Avocet: the Back Bay Ballerina” a final time at The Heavenly Home, Orange County’s only nonprofit hospice residence.
The emotional event celebrated Joan as “The Back Bay Queen” highlighting her impact on educating generations of children through her children’s picture books.
The event, hosted by Southern California Hospice Foundation, brought in representatives from the Newport Bay Conservancy and the Orange County Bird of Prey Center, which brought a live Screech Owl to teach guests about the environment and animals that inspired Joan’s stories.
“It was a privilege to work alongside the Newport Bay Conservancy and the Orange County Bird of Prey Center to share the relevance of Joan’s stories for our local community,” shared Newport Beach resident Michelle Wulfestieg, Executive Director of the Southern California Hospice Foundation, which runs the Heavenly Home. “This event showed Joan how her life’s work is still teaching children decades after publication and bringing the community together to celebrate her.”
During the event, Joan received certificates of recognition for her work as a children’s book author from the County of Orange and the City of Newport Beach, along with a certificate of appreciation from the Newport Bay Conservancy—honoring her contributions to local storytelling and environmental education.
Joan’s four books, “Amy Avocet,” “Pelican Bill,” The Tale of the Little Bay Ducklings” and “Little Crumb” were illustrated by Clyde Geronimi, former animation director at Walt Disney Studios. At the event, children received coloring pages featuring his work, and guests could take home Joan’s autograph on a keepsake bookplate sticker.
“This event meant the world to me and my mom,” shared Joan Pizzo’s daughter, Allyson Berkey, M.D., a Newport Beach resident. “The Heavenly Home has made her feel special and cared for, and this event exemplified that. It’s a memory I’ll cherish for a long time.”
Founded in 2002, Southern California Hospice Foundation’s mission is to deliver a breadth of resources to caregivers, families, and patients confronting the final stages of life. It runs the Heavenly Home, founded in 2023, which is the first-of-its-kind residential home in Orange County to give terminally ill patients and their loved ones time and space to make lasting memories. In addition to Heavenly Home, Southern California Hospice Foundation provides financial and other basic assistance such as food deliveries, transportation, and granting wishes to the dying.
