Mrs. Fiorato was the daughter of Dr. E. Victor and Marie Littauer of New York City.  She  matriculated Barnard College as an English Major, with Music as her Minor.  This was a fortunate bit of unintentional forethought, akin to a small miracle.  Thirty  years ago, music became an integral part of her life, when she wedded New York City Ballet's Principal Conductor, now Conductor Emeritus, Maestro Hugo Fiorato. 

Joelyn wrote under a myriad of last names.  Whatever, they were all preceded by her cognomen, Joelyn.  Early on, under the direction of Bosley Crowther, she was on the staff of the New York Times Movie Department as a critic, and as writer of Sunday "Arts Sections" interviews.  She attained her first goal early on, a by-line which she retained throughout her career there, "Way back when" she said, "before the Red Sea parted -- for the first time." Her first movie review was “The Frozen Ghost.” Working as the only woman in an all-male movie department, Joelyn said, “The Times is where I learned to drink, to smoke, to write and to say “no.”

After leaving the Times to marry her first husband, Samuel Pogue, of Cinncinatti Ohio, she moderated a popular weekly, hour-long panel radio show for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, "Symphomation Please," and "Meet the Artist," a weekly, musical celebrity-interview show.  She also wrote "Children’s-hour"  radio scripts for four years. 

Throughout her life, in whichever city, fate and/or marriage chanced to land her, she also performed heavy stints of volunteer Publicity work for any charity in need of that service.  "As it turned out, all of them did." 

Later she wrote short stories, some published.  Also, she turned out three plays with co-author and pal, Frank Gehrecke.  None were produced.  They wrote a "Gray Man" television mystery and outliner for a series that only got as far as an initial, test screening.  An experience best forgotten. 
Ms. Fiorato wrote two best-selling cookbooks that stayed in print for twenty-five years, in collaboration with Ohio friend, Jacqueline Wood.  Her books contained sincere, humorous, and graphics-filled basic "cookery lessons" masquerading as simple nutritious fare.  Her books garnered fine reviews and rapidly became mainstays of collegiate and graduate students, for whose delectation and erudition they were originally written.  Aptly titled "The Campus Survival Cook Book" #1 and #2, these two "perfect graduation books", were published by William Morrow, Inc. in 1973 and 1982 respectively, but are still in demand and pertinent to today's needs. 

 For the past ten years, Mrs. Fiorato produced a monthly humor-food column in Connecticut's Brooks Newspapers' insert, "Inside Fairfield County",  wherein she expounded on any theme which tickled her creative juices.  Some examples are as follows:  "The Epiphany of the Waffle Iron,"  "Omelets and Diapers," "Baggy Knees, Fashion's Screed," to “C. Elegans (earthworms)”, “Five Hundred Elk in a Rut”, “The Wonders of Edamame”, “Losing Weight in a Hammock”, and “Morton Bay Bugs (crabs)”. Now and then, a rare restaurant, movie or classical music review also appeared, sometimes a review of a book that she really loved, like her friend Ian Falconer's recent best-seller, "Olivia". All of her columns and reviews can be found on www.joelyn.com. 

A watercolorist, Joelyn recently made her first sale, a delightful painting of a sprig of birthday flowers, a six-month blooming purple orchid branch.  She felt this bode well for her next career. 
All the rest of her time was spent learning new technology and working hard to raise money for her son, Jonathan Scott's Boston substance-abuse treatment agency, Victory Programs, Inc. , which will be dedicating a new facility for homeless mothers and their children in her name, Joelyn’s Family Home. 

In addition to her husband, Maestro Hugo Fiorato, Joelyn is survived by her son S. Christopher Scott of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, the Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, and his wife Pamela, her son Jonathan Scott of Boston, Massachusetts and his partner, Michael McGuill, her daughter, Stephanie Gilchrist Hunt of Stowe, VT, a professional fundraiser for a number of environmental non-profit organizations including the Colorado Rocky Mountain Institute, and her husband Harry Hunt, and Joelyn’s four grandchildren Victoria, Luis, Alaena and Tucker.

Joelyn felt serenely secure that her progeny were saving humanity, preserving history through architecture, and keep Earth fit.  The rest of us, she said, can just relax, composting and recycling diligently.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in honor of Joelyn’s Family Home, to Victory Programs,  965 Massachuseets Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02118.
 

New York Times
Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet mourn the passing of Joelyn Fiorato, beloved wife of long time music director and current conductor Emeritus, Hugo Fiorato.An author and artist, Joelyn had a larger than life-spirit that made her a treasured member of the New York City Ballet family.  We extend our deepest condolences to Hugo and the family.  She will be missed. 
 

Toco el Cielo - In Joelyn's words.
 
 

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"i'm going to miss my irrepressible, impossible and beautiful friend, jolie."
 

"A true friend, a confidente, a fairy god-mother....Joelyn will forever be remembered for her infectious laughter, her sparkle, her endless enthusiasm for life, her wit, her sarcasm, her delicious recipes, her stories, her paintings, her articles, her hugs, and her mantras.  If one ever had an opinion on something, Joelyn did!  She will never know how much we will miss her.  She is indeed a "tour de force."
-Maggie Moffitt Rahe 
 

"Our Joelyn was, for a very long time, my surrogate mother, mentor and dear friend. When I needed a shoulder to cry on she made me talk instead, when I wrote like a five year old she got out the red pen and when I needed a laugh and a fellow cynic, her kitchen was my haven. I will miss her in person, and treasure the spirit she loaned us forever."
-Dana DuGan