Joann Schmitt DeMartino

During her early years Joann loved immersing herself in the local German culture, as both parents were German Immigrants. Joann graduated from East Haven High School in 1963 and Grace-New Haven School of Nursing in 1966. Following her graduation, Joann worked as a RN at Yale-New Haven hospital until her marriage to Ronald Lee DeMartino in 1967.After marriage, she moved with Ron to New Jersey where she worked at various hospitals interspersed with extended overseas assignments with Ron in Colombia and The Philippines, where she provided volunteer nursing services. Later she and Ron, together with their children, lived for 4 years in The Netherlands. She and her family moved to Kingwood in 1987.

Following the birth of her children, Joann devoted her life to her family. She was tenacious in successfully maintaining very close personal ties with dozens of friends and relatives all across the country and even internationally using exclusively those old-fashioned tools – the phone and U.S snail mail. She was instrumental in organizing her nursing school reunions every 5 years, culminating with her 50th reunion this past September in New Haven. Although Joann was not able to attend, her classmates provided wonderful mementoes and expression of love, for which she was truly grateful. Among her inner circle Joann was famous for her excellent baked goods, including homemade bread, biscotti and chocolate chip cookies. For the past several decades she regularly shipped samples of these goodies to friends and relatives to enhance their special occasions.

She is survived by her husband Ron of Kingwood, TX:, her son and daughter-in-law David Thomas DeMartino and Tanya Marie DeMartino of Atascocita, TX: her son and daughter-in-law Brian James DeMartino and Keri-Ann Colgan DeMartino of Yorba Linda, CA; her grandchildren Kacy and Andrew DeMartino of Yorba Linda: and step-grandchildren Paige and Chase Livingston of the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

A memorial gathering will be held on November 13th from 1-5 PM at Kingwood Funeral Home, 22800 Highway 59 North, Kingwood, TX 77339. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to charities of choice or, alternately, to the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Dept.