Tribute>Who Is Joann?
Who is Joann?
A bit of info for those who lost contact
with her,
or didn't know her very well
| She was a wife A mother A daughter A sister An Auntie A friend A Child of God |
Where'd she go to school? How did she meet Larry? How long were they married? What did she do for fun? What did she dedicate her life to? What was she like? Where did she get her strength? What did she do seriously? How is she remembered by her friends? |
| Where did she go to school? | Cranston West High School, class of 1971 |
| How did she meet Larry? | Joann worked for Save-Rite, a retail store in 1980. I
also work there, but in a different store. One day, I was working in
her store, and heard some music from the stereo department that sounded
familiar. Not that he heard the piece before (it was Stravinsky's
Firebird suite), but that the style was very familiar (it was electronic
music). To me, it was Isao Tomita, a Japanese composer and artist of
electronic music in the 70s. He had to find out who was playing
this!
I went into the stereo room and found Joann. "Who's record is that?," I asked. "It's mine," she replied, wondering why a stranger would ask that. But we would remain strangers no more. We talked, and Larry soon asked if her could call her. She said yes, but it was weeks before they could talk and arrange a first date. The first date was a day and night in Boston, and we got home after midnight. Our day was beautifully spent, and a special feeling arose in both of us on that day. A month later, I proposed, and Joann accepted. They were married the following May, on her birthday! |
| How long were they married? | 20 years in May, 2001 |
| What did she do for fun? | Joann was a fun-loving woman. She loved funny movies, laughing, and playing practical jokes. One was a recurring joke with plastic ants. She placed them on her pastor's podium, on a friend's ice cream (at a couple's retreat), and on the seats of people who sat near her in church choir. |
| What did she dedicate her life to? | The Lord Jesus Christ, whose Holy Spirit lived in her heart. |
| What was she like? | She was warm, loving, and had a very special smile and look
in her eyes when she told me she loved me. She almost always took
the happy side of life, even when facing the cancer. Her friends and
family were most important, and she did her best to have fun and also make
a difference.
She also counseled people, bringing God's hope to them, and it was many people at her wake that told me of how Joann made a lasting difference in their lives. She showed them God's love, and I believe it was His countenance that kept the "sparkle" in her eyes all her life. |
| Where did she get her strength? | She attributed it all to God. She often told me, "I can't do this" or "I can't go through this again," but she did with the Lords' help, and with a reserve that surprised many. She found His strength in her favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 40:31, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." |
| What serious things did she do? | Joann went to classes for painting, and had produced very many oils and pastels, seen here. She also sold and designed expensive jewelry for two jewelry firms, took classes in sign language, held Bible studies in our home, and was a close Aunt to her two nieces, Cheryl and Diane. She also was a talented photographer. |
| How is she remembered by her friends? | Funny, discerning, talented, loving, caring, smiling,
strong, loved, hospitable, beautiful taste in clothes and home decorating,
clean house, silly, dedicated, genuine, memorable, one of a kind
click to add to this list. |