We were all shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of our colleague, Giovanni Cimoroni, a longtime member of the AAR staff and community, on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Funeral services were held the following day.
In November 1966, when he was 18, Giovanni was hired as an apprentice in the maintenance department (he referred to himself as a “ragazzino di bottega”), working under the guidance of Enrico Baldini and Pietro Muzi, both of whom he described as being very strict. In 1990, Giovanni became the Head of Maintenance and held this role for ten years. In 2000 he was promoted to Technician for Programs, Operations, and Special Projects, where he provided support for all programmatic activities, including Fellow Shoptalks and exhibitions.
Giovanni officially retired on December 31, 2007, but he continued to work with the Academy up until last week. Always willing to lend a helping hand, Giovanni was a great resource to the entire AAR community. Many of you undoubtedly have an image in mind of Giovanni with microphones, mixers, and cables in hand, preparing for an event. Or zipping around on his beloved Apetta with tools to repair something. He was also known for helping Fellows to source all types of materials for their work and research, including sand from the beach, which was used by an artist one year to create a sculpture at Villa Aurelia.
Giovanni was more than a colleague and great worker—he was also a friend to many of us. We will miss him.