Born on February 12, 1937, in Grove City, Pennsylvania, to CG and Ruth Moon, Joanne graduated as salutatorian from Grove City High School and attended Clarion College and Slippery Rock University, where she received her BA in Education.
While at Slippery Rock, she met her future husband, Raymond Arensberg, also a teacher. After graduation, while visiting friends in the Detroit area, Ray and Jo both obtained jobs in the Wyandotte school district and moved to Michigan to start their teaching careers. Both obtained their master’s degrees in education from Eastern Michigan University.
Settling in nearby Riverview, they started a family and built a life together until Ray’s death in 1991.
Joanne remained in Michigan until the early 2000s, moving briefly to Virginia and then on to San Antonio, following son Steve and his family.
Joanne was an avid reader, a lover of music, and a 60-year active member of ESA, a philanthropic organization that supported various charities, including her favorite, St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Ray, son David, and brother Tom. She is survived by her sister Patricia, son Steve, daughter-in-law Jen, and grandchildren Kayley and Tyler, plus other family and friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church, 16245 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, TX 78247, on August 20, 2026, at 11:00 am. A separate interment service will be held at Michigan Memorial Cemetery, Flat Rock, MI, on September 19, 2026, at 10:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now.
