Joanne was the daughter of Frank and Ruth Gorenflo and grew up in Erie, PA. She attended St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a M.S. Degree in Public Health at the University of Pittsburg. She worked for many years as a public health nurse for the Montgomery Country Health Services.
In 1971, she married Bill Samuels Jr. and gained two children, Lee and Ann Samuels, who she became a second mom to.
She is proceeded in death by her parents, Frank and Ruth Gorenflo, her husband Bill, and her stepson, Lee. She is survived by her stepdaughter Ann (Bill) and two granddaughters, Emilie Grace and Lindsey Michelle. She will be greatly missed by all who had the honor of being her friend.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Parkinson Research Foundation or Habitat for Humanity in her memory.
A visitation will be held at Babione Funeral Home, located at 10060 Calle Comercio Drive, Boca Raton, Florida, on January 20, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.
A committal service will take place at South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 State Rd 7, Lake Worth, Florida, on January 20, 2026, from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm.
