Obituary of Josephine W. Facciarossa

Josephine (Joanne) Antoinette Facciarossa (nee Ward) Joanne A. Facciarossa, 75, of Pitman, suddenly on September 18. Adored wife of the late Nicholas J. Facciarossa. She is survived by three children: Laurie Brewer (Mark) and Elizabeth Nolan (David) all of Pitman, and Jennifer Sayers (Steven) of Sewell; and five grandchildren: Nicholas Brewer, Madeline Brewer, Maximillian Nolan and Olivia Nolan, all of Pitman, and Jaclyn Mihlebach of Sewell; two brothers: Thomas Ward (Nancy) of Pitman, and Patrick Ward of Victorville, California; two sisters-in-law: Antoinette Pinto of Vernon, and Linda Ward of Bridgeton. She is also survived by dear friends, Sylvia Richardson and Helen Fitzpatrick of Pitman, and Gloria Slaughter of Duluth, Georgia, and many nieces, nephews and friends. Born in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, the daughter of Francis and Fidelis Ward, Joanne grew up in Pitman and lived there most of her life. She graduated with honors from Glassboro State College and worked as an elementary school teacher at several Catholic schools in the area, including: St. Anthony of Padua in Camden, Saint Mary's in Gloucester City, Saint Bridget's in Glassboro, Saint Edward's in Pine Hill, and Saint Jude's in Washington Township. She owned and operated the Good Apple Pre-school in Pitman for many years. In retirement, she worked at Kids' Corner in the Four Seasons Health Club in Glassboro. Being with her family was Joanne's greatest joy. She was her three daughters' best friend and a second mom to many of their friends. She was a relaxed and welcoming hostess, always glad to have company. Joanne was an indulgent grandmother who attended all of her grandchildren's activities. She had a playfulness that children especially enjoyed. Joanne had a great appreciation for culture, especially music, and was a member of the Gloucester County Community Choir. She was a birdwatcher who enjoyed frequent walks at Alcyon Park in Pitman. She was intellectually inquisitive, well-read, and was comfortable conversing on any number of topics, especially politics. She was a highly intelligent woman who recalled poetry by heart and could quote song lyrics from across the decades. She showed remarkable strength and resilience in caring for her husband Nick for the eight years after his stroke. Joanne was kind, always ready to help, multi-talented, a great cook, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She will be deeply missed. A mass and memorial service will be celebrated by Msgr. John Clarke at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 25 in Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 161 Pitman Avenue, Pitman. Friends may call at the Kelley Funeral Home, 125 Pitman Avenue, Pitman, from 9:30 to 10:30 before the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Gloucester County Children's Choir, P.O. Box 254, Woodbury, NJ, 08096.