Grace D. Giannotti

Grace D’Andrea Giannotti, age 20, passed away peacefully on March 27, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Despite a lifetime of medical challenges, Grace faced each day with unwavering courage, infectious humor, and relentless positivity. Her indomitable spirit, boundless joy, unwavering resilience, and irresistible laugh will forever inspire all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Grace is predeceased by her father, Oran Giannotti; her grandmother, Karen Wald Giannotti; and her grandfather, James Dandrea. She is survived by her devoted mother, Dara Dandrea Giannotti; sibling, Ce Giannotti; stepfather, Scott Klein; stepsister, Alyssa Jones; grandfather, John Giannotti; step-grandmother, Antoinette Vielehr; grandmother, Karen Banik; and step-grandmother, Karen Dandrea. She is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. Grace had a large extended family who loved her tremendously.

Born with a fighting spirit, Grace was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF) Type 1 as an infant. She developed infantile spasms at two months old, followed by medulloblastoma—a form of brain cancer—at age two. She endured multiple surgeries and chemotherapy treatments, facing recurrences and additional health hurdles throughout her young life. Yet, she never allowed these obstacles to define her.

Grace found immense joy in dancing, especially to music introduced to her by her mother, Dara, and WXPN’s Land of the Lost program, hosted by Robert Drake. Her radiant spirit shone brightest while listening to music, where she felt most free.

In recent years, Grace experienced a period of stability, allowing her to graduate from high school and embrace life more fully. She attended concerts, dance nights, and cherished moments with friends and family—living each day with enthusiasm and love.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Grace’s life at a Celebration of Life Ceremony on April 12th from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Camp Creek Run, 199 Taunton Lake Rd, Marlton, NJ 08053.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to help ease the many unexpected expenses that come with such a sudden loss through a GoFundMe page established in Grace’s honor (https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dara-and-ce-through-this-tragic-loss); to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), an institution close to Grace’s heart (https://www.chop.edu/give); or to the Children’s Tumor Foundation, whose mission is to end NF (https://www.ctf.org/ways-to-give/).