Joan Eileen Nelson

Joan was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on July 24th, 1927, as the eldest daughter of Cecil and Agnes (Ollivierra) Fanovich. At the time of her death, Joanie was the only surviving sibling of their 5 children.

In 1955, she immigrated to Jacksonville, Florida after her marriage to Marvin Nelson of Sioux City, Iowa. The two met on a blind date while Dad was serving as a naval air traffic controller stationed at the U.S Seaplane Base in Port-of-Spain. "Jumpin' Joanie" loved to dance at the Portuguese Assembly Club on the weekends, and Marvin quickly had to learn to keep up.

After settling in Jacksonville, Joanie and Marvin grew their family with the subsequent births of the first six of their eight children. The family then moved to Carol City in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and were among the earliest family of parishioners at St. Monica Catholic Church and School. Joan spent countless hours volunteering for the church and school, and recruited her children—now eight in total—to do the same. From fundraisers to church carnivals and events in the school cafeteria and parish hall, the Nelson family were active members of the parish community until after Marvin's sudden passing in 1983.

When their youngest child graduated college, Joan moved to Clinton, Tennessee, and became an active member of St. Therese Catholic Church. She returned to Florida 16 years later and enjoyed the next several years with friends of more than 40 years whom she met during her time at St. Monica. She was a parishioner of St. David's Catholic Church in Davie, Florida, founded by her adopted son, Father Gabriel O'Reilly, until Joan's dementia began to take its toll and she moved into an assisted living facility in Hollywood. Only recently did the advancement of the dementia necessitate her move into memory care at Arbor Terrace in Cooper City and then Memorial Hospital Hospice, where she passed away quietly in her sleep.

Joan is survived by her eight children: Martin (Cathy), Michael (Isela), Karen (Neal Swenson), Myron (Ana), Kristine (John Pritchard), Kathryn (Robert Sanchez), and Mark (Gina); and Karla Nelson Thatcher; 12 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild.

She will be remembered for her unwavering faith, her devotion to family, and the remarkable legacy she leaves behind.

In lieu of flowers, our family asks that you honor her by giving back in your own community-through your time, generosity, and your heart. If you feel moved to share, we would love to hear about the acts of service or commitments you choose to make in her memory.