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In memory of
JoAnne Leone
September 24, 1947 - December 30, 2020
Sep 24, 1947 - Dec 30, 2020
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JoAnne's obituary
It’s an impossible task to sum up the life of someone who loved so deeply and touched so many. What we can do is share memories and glimpses of a life well lived that may bring those who knew her a remembrance of how much they loved her. JoAnne had a natural ability to make everyone she came into contact with feel seen, heard, important, and loved. She was a mother, a matriarch, a grandmother, and a friend, who would catch you when you fell and encourage your successes. She was always praying, singing, working, listening, counseling, and inspiring everyone around her.
Any remembrance of JoAnne has to start with love, and her first love was music. Raised in Eerie, Pennsylvania, along with her sister MaryAnne, by parents Joseph and Anne Drinkwater, JoAnne took her mother's maiden name of Leone as her stage name. As a young woman, she sang pop and jazz standards in smoky nightclubs with her adoring father in the audience. JoAnne travelled the world on USO music tours for our troops, cut jazz records, and made many friends as the front woman in the local pop band, October Rain. To no one’s surprise, at her 70th birthday, she hired herself as the live music entertainment.
JoAnne’s work ethic was second to none, and as her world travel for music subsided, she applied to her career path the motto she frequently told her daughters: “The word can’t is not in our vocabulary.” JoAnne’s career was centered around the lifelong value she placed in education. From her start as a part-time locker room attendant (“pumping volleyballs” as she cheekily described it) in the Downey school district, JoAnne put herself through school, including a bachelor’s degree and later a master's degree at the University of Redlands, leading to a long and accomplished career in education administration. Most recently, JoAnne was coaxed out of retirement by a former colleague to manage leasing for the Valley Academies Foundation. She was very proud of the “three pensions” her hard work afforded her in retirement.
Still, JoAnne's greatest accomplishment came in 1990, when she made the decision to adopt her two daughters, Bianca and Crystal, forever changing her life and theirs. Even today, her girls still wear the gold, heart-shaped necklaces JoAnne gave them the day they first met. JoAnne was a real life Super Woman who was an active and involved mother, while excelling in her career and community involvement. She took her job as a parent so seriously, that after many hours of her own parental education, she began to teach parenting classes through Pomona Unified for parents who needed court-ordered help with their children. She opened up her daughter’s eyes to the arts and the wonder of the world, reading them the Secret Garden, hosting mandatory viewings of every classic musical, and embarking on road trips to Hearst Castle, through the redwoods, to Yosemite and beyond. Still, the Leone family wasn’t complete without beloved pups Pumpkin and Luca, the latter of whom was JoAnne’s steadfast companion even after the nest was empty.
JoAnne’s family grew further with the arrival of Patrick and Danny as husbands to her daughters, with JoAnne even officiating the wedding of Crystal and Danny just this last summer. Just as she made her daughters and son-in-laws feel uniquely special, loved, and supported, JoAnne did the same for her two precious grandchildren, Olivia and Patrick, whose births she was blessed to witness in the hospital room and with whom she would frequently babysit in her home.
It is difficult to put into words how much JoAnne meant to so many friends and family members. In her twenties, JoAnne and her now lifelong friends would go camping and ride dirt bikes at Jawbone Canyon and Big Bear. Whether in a restaurant, at a potluck, or at the Thanksgiving dinner she would host for dozens of guests, JoAnne loved sharing a “five star” meal with her friends and family - and would let everyone know if it was “the bomb.” Friends and family have many memories of Mexican cruises, gambling adventures at Morongo, and theater at the Candlelight Pavilion. But, what most remember is how JoAnne was there for them in a time of need and offered love, support, and unconditional friendship.
JoAnne was the type of person who believed her purpose was to make the world around her a better place. She was actively involved in her community, volunteering at soup kitchens, donating to shelters for women and the homeless, and developing fun activities for those with special needs at Casa Colina. JoAnne was a progressive who believed in both a fair shot for all and the responsibility to work hard and give back. Needless to say, she was relieved and elated with the recent election results.
During her early adulthood, JoAnne accepted Jesus Christ as her savior, and her faith became a central fulfillment in her life. In her later years, she often prayed daily for an hour or more, lifting up her loved ones to God. She was active in her church, Rock of the Foothills Lutheran, where she founded and ran a “shop with scrip” fundraising program. Her children fondly remember fellowshipping with her church community every year on Christmas Eve.
JoAnne is predeceased by her aforementioned parents and sister, and is survived by her aforementioned children and grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to Inland Valley Hope Partners, a non-profit dedicated to feeding and sheltering the homeless in JoAnne’s community. During recent birthdays, JoAnne often dissuaded friends and family from gifts and instead asked for donations to this organization, which helps struggling families now more than ever. JoAnne’s wish for a memorial was a celebration of life with live jazz music, great food and drinks, and plenty of family and friends. The Leone family plans to host this celebration in the future, when it is safe to do so given the pandemic and looks forward to remembering JoAnne with her many friends and family.
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In lieu of flowers
Please consider a gift to Inland Valley Hope Partners.
$1,685.00
Raised by 18 people
Recent contributions
Recent contributions
In lieu of flowers
Please consider a gift to Inland Valley Hope Partners.
$1,685.00
Raised by 18 people
Recent contributions
Recent contributions
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Created with love by
Crystal & Bianca (Crystal Bianca).
