Joanne Murphy

She is the sister who jetted across the country to help her brother and his wife when their babies were born. The Godmother who flew to Chicago to watch her Godson perform on stage. The wife who threw a surprise 50th birthday party for her beloved husband, David, and hired an artist to draw guest caricatures so everyone went home with a gift.

She is the neighbor who always had time for a late-night call to talk through your problems. The daughter who attended Sunday services at a Greek Orthodox Church an hour from home just to be with her parents. The friend who thanked people with not just words but also homemade baklava – heavenly baklava.

Above all, though, Joanne Murphy was the loving mother who dedicated her life to her boys, Edward and William. The one who spent endless hours reading Bob Books and “Where, Oh Where Is Huggle Buggle Bear?” The one who drove her truck-obsessed toddler to construction sites while taking her film-inspired child to Disney movies. The one who would definitely trade you plates – or, at the very least, share her dish – if you didn’t like what you ordered. The one who didn’t miss a chance to cheer on her boys during a show or game – even if the idea of her kid being on the bottom of a football pile terrified her.

Joanne Maria Murphy, 55 of Powell, Ohio, died on September 11 after valiantly battling cancer.

Born in Mansfield to Evelyn and George Giovas, Joanne graduated from Malabar High School in 1986, Akron University in 1990 with her Bachelor’s degree in business/accounting, and Ashland University in 1999 with her Master’s degree in business. She spent most of her career as an accountant and consultant.

Joanne grew up with a tight-knit gaggle of cousins who put on an annual holiday play – directed, of course, by her. (Grease was a favorite, and the older cousins figured out that if they got their youngest cousin to sing the line with a swear word, nobody could get mad because it was so funny.) She was proud, then, that her oldest son, Edward, became a musician and theater performer. She attended every showing of every production and especially loved his turn as Owl in Liberty Middle School’s Winnie-the-Pooh. She enjoyed his musical talents, too, whether he was playing the piano at home or performing with the high school marching band.

Joanne’s first date with David, a former football player, was to a Cleveland Indians game. It set the stage for hundreds of athletic events where they would eventually watch their younger son, William, catch touchdown passes, block shots or zip past his competitors in the 100-meter dash. Ever present on the sidelines, Joanne relished cheering him on as he excelled in football, basketball and track, and she carefully scrapbooked his many achievements.

Joanne loved so much about life: Front porch conversations. Peanut M&Ms. A quick wit. Reality TV (namely “Married at First Sight,” even if she pretended to hate it). Reading – especially books by Liane Moriarty that she could discuss with Edward. Conquering ninja courses on the

Nintendo Wii with William. And planning family vacations to places from Washington, D.C. to the Smoky Mountains.

She taught us many lessons, including these: Do the right thing, especially when it’s the hard thing. Always volunteer to run the carpool; it’s when you get the good scoop. And you get what you give – which, in Joanne’s case, was so very, very much. Even on a respirator recently, she was more concerned about feeding David than her own pain.

Others first. That was Joanne Murphy’s way.

Joanne is survived by her husband, David; sons Edward and William; parents George and Evelyn Giovas; aunt Georgia Ann Vourliotakis; mother in-law Jacquelin Holland; siblings Michelle (Bill) Kotsatos and Nick (Jill) Giovas; nephews and nieces Christopher Giovas, Timothy Giovas, Christina Kotsatos and Nicole Kotsatos; cousins Dean (DeeAnn) Alatsis, Marika (Alatsis), Everett (Kathila) Alatsis, Mikki (John) McAninch and Kitsa (Chris) Fuciu; and many more family members and friends.

Visitation will be Tuesday, September 19, 2023, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 555 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. A funeral service will follow from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. at Union Cemetery, 3349 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43202.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites people to honor Joanne in these ways: Donate in Joanne’s name to The James Fund for Life at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Watch an episode of “Impractical Jokers” and laugh with a person you love. Or bake something delicious for someone who could use a little TLC.