Joann Rita Albert

Born in Staten Island, New York, in 1950, Joann was the beloved daughter of Joseph and Rita Fereno. Her childhood was full of simple joys — playing kick the rock, kick the can, and bouncing the ball against the house with neighborhood friends. When Joann was just eight years old, her mother, Rita, passed away. She was lovingly welcomed into the home of her sister and brother-in-law Loretta and George Hartigan in Staten Island, where she grew up alongside her niece Peggy Hartigan and nephews George, Danny, Kenny, John, and Brian Hartigan. That house was filled with warmth, laughter, and the kind of love that shaped Joann’s lifelong devotion to family.

A bright and curious student, Joann attended St. Joseph’s by the Sea High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Staten Island, before earning her associate’s degree from Staten Island Community College. After graduation, she took the ferry to New York City and began her career as a secretary on Wall Street, later working for several financial companies in New York City, Hackensack, and Paramus.

In the summer of 1972, while vacationing in Manasquan, New Jersey, Joann met Louis Albert when he and his friends took every parking spot behind her summer house. Never one to stay quiet when something needed saying, Joann marched right up to Lou to confront him — and the rest became history. The following summer, they shared a summer house together in Manasquan, and two years later, they were married.

Joann and Lou wed in 1975 on Staten Island and honeymooned for two unforgettable weeks in Hawaii, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. They shared a partnership that spanned 50 years — full of travel, laughter, and unwavering support. For a brief time, Joann and Lou owned a flower shop in Bricktown, New Jersey, with friends Jack and Valerie Lorenzo, before settling into careers and family life.

Together, they welcomed two sons — Chris, born in 1981, and Kevin, born in 1982. Joann approached motherhood with boundless love and patience, always talking her boys through whatever was happening in their lives. She had an unmatched ability to make everything feel magical — holidays, birthdays, even an ordinary Tuesday night movie. Her home was always full of music, laughter, and the smell of something delicious.

In 1985, the family moved to Boston, where Joann could be found in the backyard pitching wiffle balls to her sons in Walpole, then driving them to Fenway Park to cheer on the Red Sox. Four years later, in 1989, they moved to Dallas, Texas, where Joann became an integral part of her community. She worked as an office manager for three dental offices and later at Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church, where she served as a Deacon and Usher and was deeply involved with the youth group. Her faith was active and lived — full of compassion, service, and genuine love for others.

In Dallas, Joann made lifelong friends, including her dearest friend Ida Botto. She filled her weeks with Bingo, Bunko, tennis, and bowling, always the first to make a joke and the last to stop laughing. Her children’s friends adored her — many saying she felt like a second mom and true friend. She set an unreachable bar for Thanksgiving dinners and gift-giving, each one perfectly tailored, deeply thoughtful, and full of heart.

Joann loved the little joys in life: singing songs, dancing in the kitchen, watching movies with Jujyfruits, Good & Plenty, black licorice, or jelly beans in hand. She loved Italian, Mexican, and Chinese food, margaritas, and root beer. She loved to read, especially true crime fiction and romance novels by Dean R. Koontz, and she was never done learning and growing. She had a sharp wit and an even sharper insight — she could talk you through anything, see right into your heart, and somehow leave you feeling lighter.

In the summer of 2013, Joann and Lou retired to Port St. Lucie, Florida, buying a peaceful home by the lake in the Savanna Club and making many dear friends. There, Joann worked at the Grill, where she formed cherished friendships with Dana, Sherry, and Michelle. She loved her life there — sunshine, friends, laughter, and purpose.

Most of all, Joann cherished being a grandmother. Her grandsons Lincoln (12) and Rockwell (8) called her “Kiki” and absolutely adored her. She spoiled them with love, laughter, and endless creativity — always making them feel like the most special people in the world.

Joann shared a deep and enduring bond with her niece Peggy Hartigan, whom she thought of as a daughter, and Peggy’s daughter Emma, who affectionately called her Grammy Jo. Joann’s lifelong best friend, Maurine Mazzaglia, remained by her side through every chapter of her life.

She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Rita Fereno, and her siblings Loretta Hartigan, Peggy Ann Fereno, and Joseph Fereno. She is survived by her devoted husband Louis Albert; her loving sons Chris and Kevin Albert; her adored grandsons Lincoln and Rockwell Albert; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends who will miss her dearly.

Joann will be remembered for her sense of wonder, her love of the stars, and her boundless capacity for joy. She worked hard to make the world around her feel magical — and she did. She was loving, selfless, smart, and insightful; she laughed often, danced freely, and lived fully. Those who knew her will forever carry her laughter, warmth, and light within them.

Her family takes comfort in knowing that Joann is now at peace — her beautiful soul resting beneath the stars she so loved, her light still shining in all of us who were lucky enough to know her.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Aycock Funeral Home, located at 1504 SE Floresta Dr, Port Saint Lucie, FL, 34983-4041, United States. The event is scheduled for November 15, 2025, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

A Memorial Service will follow at the same location on November 15, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.