On Thursday, May 12, 2022, John Brent Gianola passed away peacefully at his home. Born and raised in Morgantown, John was a longtime resident of Charleston, where he and his loving wife, Lynne, raised their two sons, John Fulton and Jason Anthony.
A dynamic and successful accountant, John worked for 40 years with Ernst & Young and retired as managing partner of the Charleston office. Beyond his professional accomplishments, the love and pride he showed supporting people throughout their career was second to none. John was almost as dedicated to his career, friends and family as he was to his beloved West Virginia University Mountaineers. A graduate of Morgantown High School and West Virginia University, he loved life, good wine and telling stories. A dedicated volunteer, he helped and served various charities and foundations throughout the years, including his church, Blessed Sacrament, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, the WVU Foundation, the Visiting Committee of WVU’s College of Business and Economics, the Kanawha Valley Foundation, the Charleston YMCA, the West Virginia Housing Development Fund and the non-profit organization, Evidence Action.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Emily; his father, Aldo; and sister-in-law, Leanne Cravens. He is survived by his wife, Lynne; his children, John (Amanda) and Jason (Lauren); his grandchildren, John (Jack), Luke, Henry, Gabriel, Michael and James; his sister, Faye Zinn and his brothers, James (Rocky) and Jeff; his sister-in-law, Mary Lou Wellman (Stan); his brothers-in-law, David Fulton (Cheryl) and John Fulton (Denise); many nieces and nephews; and far too many friends to count.
We are a family of faith who believe he is safe with God and joined by members of the family that have gone on before and have welcomed him with joy and open arms. His indomitable spirit, bright smile and quick laughter left an indelible mark on all who met him and his memory will live on as a blessing to all who knew him. His family would like to thank Dr. Reginald McClung and all of the wonderful health care providers who fought for John.
A service will be held at Blessed Sacrament Church in South Charleston, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17. Visitation will be there from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 16. There will be a memorial service celebrating John’s life at the WVU Alumni Center in Morgantown, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to either the “Gianola & Fulton Family Accounting Education Fund” at the Chambers College of B&E at WVU, or the “Aldo and Emily Mangano Gianola Cancer Research Fund,” at the WVU Cancer Institute. Please mail to WVU Foundation, P.O. Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507 and selecting the obituary. Snodgrass Funeral Home in South Charleston is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements.
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