BOARDMAN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Joanne Mercedes Diana, 84, passed away peacefully Friday morning, September 22, 2023, at The Inn at Walker Mill.
Joanne was born in Youngstown, Ohio on November 9, 1938, to John Diana and Maria Grazia Marinelli.
She lived on Lanterman Avenue and attended Cleveland Elementary School until the fifth grade and Princeton for sixth grade. In 1950, her parents moved to Boardman and she attended Junior High School and High School at Boardman. She graduated with the esteemed class of 1956. Joanne was a graduate of the Youngstown Hospital Association School of Nursing, class of 1961 and received the Bedside Nursing Award from District Three of the Ohio Nurses Association. She attended Youngstown University and graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Studies. She was a member of Beta Sigma Omicron which merged with ZTA at Youngstown University. She received an MSN in Adult Nursing with a Clinical Specialty in Surgical Oncological Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia in 1977. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the National Nursing Honor Society at MCG in April 1978. She received an ED.D from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1988.
Joanne worked as a registered nurse in the recovery room, surgery, the surgical floors and surgery ICU at North Unit of the Youngstown Hospital Association and as a Medical-Surgical Instructor at Youngstown Hospital School of Nursing until it closed. She worked Surgical ICU at University Hospitals, Cleveland when it opened. She taught at Toledo Hospital School of Nursing and Trumbull Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. She had been a staff development educator at St. Alexis Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio and was Director of Continuing Education at Lynchburg General Hospital, Lynchburg, Viriginia. Joanne was a Professor of Nursing at Thiel College, Greenville, Pennsylvania until the Nursing Program closed in 2002.
In 1998, she was nominated to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Throughout her career she was involved with volunteer activities including CPR instructor. Lynchburg General Hospital selected her to attend Leadership Lynchburg class of 1985 which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce in Lynchburg.
Joanne was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica. She belonged to Catholic Collegiate and the YHA Nursing School Alumnae.
Joanne loved to travel especially to Italy and in 1973 had the opportunity to attend Cordon Bleu Cooking School, Paris, France with a group of participants from throughout the USA.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
She leaves many relatives from the Diana, Cerimele and Marinelli families.
Family and friends may call on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, from 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica, 343 Mount Carmel Avenue in Youngstown. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:00 a.m. at the church with the Very Reverend Monsignor Michael J. Cariglio officiating.
The family wishes to thank the entire staff of The Inn at Walker Mill and Ohio Living Home Health Care and Hospice for their kindness and care they gave to Joanne at this time.
The family requests that remembrance tributes take the form of contributions to or Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica, 343 Mount Carmel Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44505; to St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, 252 East Wood Street, Youngstown, OH 44503 or Mahoning Valley Second Harvest Food Bank, 2805 Salt Springs Road, Youngstown, OH 44506, in memory of Joanne.
Arrangements are being handled by Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home, 270 North Main Street in Poland. Please visit www.beckerobits.com to share memories and condolences with Joanne’s family.
A television tribute will air Monday, September 25 at the following approximate times: 6:47 a.m. on WYTV, 9:43 a.m. on WKBN, 10:58 a.m. on FOX and 8:12 p.m. on MyYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.
