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For 15 years, she was the face of Victor village hall. Residents and visitors who walked through the front door could count on her warm greeting, friendly smile and spot-on service. Former Victor Village Clerk Debra Giusti was described by her peers and community as dedicated, professional, ambitious and thorough, with an ever-present smile and a great sense of humor.
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, Debra Giusti died at her residence in Jensen Beach, Fla., at the age of 58.
Mrs. Giusti was born and grew up in Rochester. As an adult, she worked for years as a teacher’s aide in Monroe County, and later went back to school to earn a degree from Monroe Community College. At that time, she and her family left Gates to make their home in Victor.
On May 10, 1993, Mrs. Giusti became Victor’s village clerk, serving there for a decade and a half. Though she knew little about what the job might entail when she started, it became obvious right away that she was a natural — a perfect fit for the job and the community.
“Debbie was an excellent clerk,” said former Mayor Tom Walker. “She was my right-hand person — my ‘memory.’ She wouldn’t let you forget a thing. She was very friendly, very open — called people by their first name — liked very much by the community. She was a wonderful person.”
Current Mayor John Holden echoed that praise.
“Debbie was a very dedicated village employee,” he said. “She was able to do her job with a sense of humor and was able to resolve many issues and concerns at the front desk. She was very thorough — she kept us on task as to what was coming up or what was done in the past. She was ambitious and forthcoming.”
During her tenure as village clerk, Mrs. Giusti worked alongside four mayors: Dick Kalb, Walker, the late Michael Commisso and current mayor Holden. She also worked closely with various village boards, especially urban renewal.
“I used to go into the village hall every Monday and she was just a pleasure, always treated me great,” said Al Pezzimenti, former village mayor and member of the Village Board and the urban renewal agency. “It was always a pleasant conversation — she was a very professional girl. (She and her husband) were a big part of our community.”
Mrs. Giusti was well-known for her commitment to health and fitness, walking or riding her bike to and from Village Hall, and during lunch breaks.
For 15 years, she was the face of Victor village hall. Residents and visitors who walked through the front door could count on her warm greeting, friendly smile and spot-on service. Former Victor Village Clerk Debra Giusti was described by her peers and community as dedicated, professional, ambitious and thorough, with an ever-present smile and a great sense of humor.
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, Debra Giusti died at her residence in Jensen Beach, Fla., at the age of 58.
Mrs. Giusti was born and grew up in Rochester. As an adult, she worked for years as a teacher’s aide in Monroe County, and later went back to school to earn a degree from Monroe Community College. At that time, she and her family left Gates to make their home in Victor.
On May 10, 1993, Mrs. Giusti became Victor’s village clerk, serving there for a decade and a half. Though she knew little about what the job might entail when she started, it became obvious right away that she was a natural — a perfect fit for the job and the community.
“Debbie was an excellent clerk,” said former Mayor Tom Walker. “She was my right-hand person — my ‘memory.’ She wouldn’t let you forget a thing. She was very friendly, very open — called people by their first name — liked very much by the community. She was a wonderful person.”
Current Mayor John Holden echoed that praise.
“Debbie was a very dedicated village employee,” he said. “She was able to do her job with a sense of humor and was able to resolve many issues and concerns at the front desk. She was very thorough — she kept us on task as to what was coming up or what was done in the past. She was ambitious and forthcoming.”
During her tenure as village clerk, Mrs. Giusti worked alongside four mayors: Dick Kalb, Walker, the late Michael Commisso and current mayor Holden. She also worked closely with various village boards, especially urban renewal.
“I used to go into the village hall every Monday and she was just a pleasure, always treated me great,” said Al Pezzimenti, former village mayor and member of the Village Board and the urban renewal agency. “It was always a pleasant conversation — she was a very professional girl. (She and her husband) were a big part of our community.”
Mrs. Giusti was well-known for her commitment to health and fitness, walking or riding her bike to and from Village Hall, and during lunch breaks.
“She was a health food nut — exercised a lot,” said Walker. “You would always see her and her husband walking around the village after work.”
When she retired in June 2008, Mrs. Giusti knew clearly what she would miss most — it would be the people.
“I’m a people person,” Mrs. Giusti said in an interview with Messenger Post at that time. “I really enjoyed working with the residents and trying to make it better for them. It was something different every day, so the job definitely did not ever get boring. It was always a challenge.”
In 2008 Mrs. Giusti and her husband moved to Jensen Beach where she followed her passions, becoming an active member of the Nettles Island tennis club, quilters club and computer club, as well as Treasure Coast Genealogy.
“She always had a smile,” said Walker. “She didn’t get rattled by things. She was just great.”
Mrs. Giusti is survived by her husband of 39 years, Michael Giusti; their daughter and son, Danielle and Brendan; her parents, Mary and Albert Jones; and brother, Donald Jones.
