Joann Quinn-Contino

Our dear and beloved Joann Quinn,known to all of us by many names

of affection and respect, has left us to go join The Lord in Heaven

and all of the many family and friends who passed on before her.

She passed away, surrounded by family, fully exemplifying the dignity with which she conducted her life right up until the end. Despite the tears of those of us still here, there was undoubtedly the most joyous of celebrations as she arrived in heaven. Her Roman Catholic faith was an important part of her life. Combined further with the faith and knowledge of Christian Science, instilled in her by her dear mother, she was able to live her life with an inner strength, compassion and dignity rarely seen in our world today. She lived by the credo: "Divine love always has met, and always will meet, every human need." Joann Quinn was born in Sanger, CA on July 16, 1935, to Raymond and Rosa Belle Quinn, both of whom preceded her in death. She had two brothers, infant Bobby, who had passed away some years earlier prior to her birth, and Calvin, who preceded her in death just two years ago. She was able to grow up in a small town community atmosphere where folks knew and respected one another. And, up until the day that she passed, she could recite, in vivid detail, so many wonderful memories about people, places and events that mattered to her. And when she was finished with the story, it mattered to you also. She graduated from Sanger High School, played the flute, and engaged in many school clubs and activities. She graduated from Fresno State College and it was there where she made so many lifelong friends through her membership in the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. Friends still dear to her and she to them, some 60 years hence. She grew up helping out in her mother's dress shop and grew into management of both the Sanger and Clovis Belle Quinn Dress Shops. You never saw Joann dressed in anything else but the most tasteful and dignified of attire. Over the course of her life, she made two trips to Europe and traveled to many places around the country. Her love of art and culture was demonstrated by the tasteful and relaxing manner in which she created the world around her. She shared and instilled her love of travel, culture, and art with every young one of us who called "Auntie Jo", "JoJo" or "Nonnie". Our lives are so much the richer and fuller because of her presence and the loving interest that she took in all of us. Throughout the course of her life, she was not only giving of herself, to friends, and family, but also belonged to many service guilds in the community, The La Tienda Guild, LARCS, and Junior League, just to name a few. Her life changed for the better when she met and married the love of her life, Richard "Dick" Contino. It was a Valentine's Day wedding. Dick, the "Italian Guy" brought so much love and and vitality into the life of Jodi, "The Scotch-Irish Gal". From then on, she now had two large families who she could love and take care of. All of us who knew her, loved her and benefited from her presence in our lives, knew that God had "broken the mold" when he created Joann Quinn-Contino. Joann was preceded in death by her nephew, James Quinn.

She is survived by her four nephews, all of whom knew her as "Our Beloved Second Mother", Shanon and his wife Charlotte, Kevin and his wife Sandra, Timothy and his wife Cheryl, and Sean and his wife Lydia. Dick's family became her family in every sense of the word and so, she is also survived by her daughter, Shannan Reinhardt and her husband Mitch; her son, Dr. Joseph Contino and wife Joan; as well as her grandchildren, Amanda, Nico, Liam and Isabella. She is also survived by a multitude of nieces, nephews and others that she helped raise as children, as if they were her very own. And, of course another multitude comprised of her dearest friends and extended family.