Jo-Ann Van Sant

Jo-Ann was born in 1943 to Gerald and Theresa (Terry & Jerry) Bocchino at St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. She grew up in the Silver Lake section of Belleville, New Jersey, and graduated from Belleville High School.

After graduation, Jo-Ann entered the Religious Teachers Filippini, beginning a lifelong vocation dedicated to education and service. She taught in several Catholic schools throughout New Jersey before leaving the religious order to continue her education at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, New Jersey. After graduating, she continued her teaching career in Caldwell, New Jersey, and at Immaculate Conception School in Montclair, New Jersey.

Around 1973, Jo-Ann relocated to Georgia, where she made her home and continued her passion for teaching. She taught at St. Joseph’s School before moving into public education. She taught at several Georgia schools, including Oak Grove Elementary, where she was honored as Teacher of the Year, and Clark Creek Elementary.

Jo-Ann’s greatest joy was her family. Jo-Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Theresa Bocchino, and her nephew, Nicholas Graziano. She is survived by her children, David VanSant Jr.; Debra Bocchino (John Griffin); and Danielle Lewis-Morris (Alan Morris); her seven grandchildren, Hunter Lewis, Druw Lewis (Lexy Kernea), Carter Lewis, Gabriella Boyle, Ava VanSant, Autumn Morris, and Sawyer Morris; and her great-grandchild, Asher Kernea Lewis. She is also survived by her brother, Tony Bocchino (Lynn), and sister, Mariann Graziano (Frank), as well as nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, several cousins, and many wonderful friends who will cherish her memory.

Jo-Ann will be remembered for her dedication to teaching, her generous spirit, her love of family, and the many lives she touched throughout her years. Her legacy will live on in the generations of students she taught and, most importantly, in the family and friends who loved her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made in Jo-Ann’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?source_code=FVM0018II25&sc_icid=header-donate-today

Visitation will be held at Woodstock Funeral Home, Inc., 8855 Main Street, Woodstock, GA 30188, US, on September 10, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Church in Woodstock, Georgia, followed by a cemetery service at Cherokee Memorial Park. Following the cemetery service, the family will gather privately at the Train Depot.