Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, Joanne Patricia DeRose relinquished her earthly body early in the morning on June 2nd, 2021 three days shy of her 76th birthday.
Except for a brief stint in Utah, she lived her life with her feet firmly planted in Delaware soil. In her younger days, you could find her catching some rays at either Lewes or Rehoboth beaches, and though she avoided the sun in her later years, she still enjoyed trips there to watch the waves roll in and smell the salty air.
Joanne enjoyed being active, whether it was taking a daily jog around the neighborhood, line dancing in Cowtown with her girlfriends or riding a bike over 100 miles in the Bike to the Bay MS fundraiser. She had a soft spot for our four-legged friends “adopting” several of her children’s pets over the years, including a cantankerous cat that growled at (and terrified) everyone else but would curl up next to Joanne as she napped on the couch.
A devout Catholic, Joanne was heavily involved in the local catholic community. She could be found in a pew every Sunday, taught CCD classes, volunteered at church events and would bring the Eucharist to home-bound parishioners on Sunday afternoons.
She was truly a person who could take lemons and make lemonade. She experienced many trials and tribulations in her life time, but you would never know this as she always had a smile on her face and a welcoming heart. Joanne made friends everywhere she went. The old adage “To know her is to love her” never rang more true than with Joanne.
One of her most impressive attributes was her ability to find joy in everyday activities. She was happiest when surrounded by her family. She especially loved her role as “Bopchi”. There was nothing better for her than being surrounded by her grand and great grandchildren.
She will be tremendously missed everyday by her brother, Joe (Carol); her son, John (Sheryl); her daughters, Christine (Howie), Elise (Simon) and Ellen (Eric); her grandchildren, Gina (Erec), JR (Chrissy), Nicolas (Grace), Macy, Dalton, Benjamin, Alyssa, Emery, Rafael, Eden, Giavana and Romeo; and her great grandchildren Avery, Ashlyn, Carter and Caiden.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 from 12:30-2:00pm at Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 2:30pm at Holy Family Church, 15 Gender Rd., Newark, DE 19713.
Generous even in death, she donated her brain to help others who may be inflicted with dementia in the future. As such, the family requests that in lieu of flowers please make a donation in Joanne’s name to Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, https://www.alzinfo.org.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Joanne Patricia DeRose, please visit our floral store.