If something special was happening in Beechview, Joan Gaetano probably knew about it.

Chances are, she had a hand in organizing or bringing it about.

A passionate activist and advocate for her community, Mrs. Gaetano’s reach extended beyond Beechview -- she fought for a number of South Hills communities to get things like a branch of the Carnegie Library, one of the area’s first mental health counseling programs, and busing for local kids to attend Brashear High School.

“She became a community activist before that became a thing,” said her son-in-law Jonathan Nadle.

Mrs. Gaetano died Tuesday in her Beechview home after a spate of recent health problems. She was 96.

Even as a nonagenarian, Mrs. Gaetano remained a thorn in the side of the Allegheny County Port Authority -- now called Pittsburgh Regional Transit -- over issues involving bus and T service.

“She fought them tooth and nail about everything,” her daughter Lori Nadle recalled, laughing. “She told us, ‘Your father told me that whatever I do, I shouldn’t get in the newspaper again, and here I am, kneeling on (a traffic) island, measuring the depth of it. I always thought they made those islands too skinny.’ And, she was in her 90s doing this stuff.”

She graduated in 1944 from South Hills High School and in 1948 married Vincent Gaetano, whose family lived next door as they grew up. Mr. Gaetano died in 2011.

After successfully lobbying for a local branch of the Carnegie Library, she celebrated its 1967 opening by volunteering to stock shelves for a week.

“They even asked her to speak at our library’s 50th anniversary,” said her daughter, who also lives in Beechview.

Mrs. Gaetano chaired a task force that persuaded city schools to bus Brookline students to the new Brashear High School in 1976.

“The school board insisted that the kids from Brookline could walk to Brashear, so she walked the route with a bunch of people to show that this was not a good thing,” her daughter said. “She wasn’t just sticking up for us in this neighborhood. She stood up for everybody.”

When her four children were older, Mrs. Gaetano went to work as a bookkeeper for several businesses, including the Oyster House in Market Square and Travel King in Gateway Center.

Active in Democratic politics, she also served as an aide to late State Rep. Frank Gigliotti for a decade.

Described as “irrepressible and unabashedly loyal to her boss” in a 1999 Post-Gazette story, despite the grand jury testimony she and others gave during an investigation of the lawmaker, Mrs. Gaetano remained steadfast in her support of Gigliotti.

He was convicted a year later for bribery and extortion and died in 2011.

In 1992, Mrs. Gaetano was nominated for a Jefferson Award for public service as a result of her work as a distribution manager at a food bank.

She co-founded the Beechview Community Council and in 2003 railed against the closing of a city police station in the West End.

The list of her causes and concerns is practically endless, family members said.

“She fought for bus routes, T stops and community programs,” her son-in-law said. “She had a passion for social justice, her community and taking care of people.”

At her funeral last week, family members learned more about Mrs. Gaetano’s good works.

“Many of the kids that were in a youth church group that she co-founded came to the funeral and said what an important part of their lives that she was,” her daughter said.

One person recalled the time Mrs. Gaetano made Christmas cookies for a neighbor who couldn’t.

Another woman “came to tell us that when her husband had cancer, my mom rallied to get Christmas presents for her children and it was the best Christmas they ever had,” her daughter recalled.

“So many people came with stories like that,” her son-in-law said. “She had a long life, well-lived.”

“She wanted to be in her home at the end, surrounded by family and friends, and that’s what happened,” her daughter said. “We’re sad, but we’re also celebrating her life.”

Along with her daughter and son-in-law, Mrs. Gaetano is survived by another daughter, LeeAnn Matesich, of Charleroi, a son, James "Jim Joe" Gaetano, of Beechview, and three grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beechview United Presbyterian, 1621 Broadway Ave., Pittsburgh 15216.

Janice Crompton: jcrompton@post-gazette.com.

First Published: February 26, 2023, 5:00 a.m.