Obituary of Joan Elaine DiMarzo

Joan Elaine Di Marzo  (Oct 18, 1932- April 26, 2020)

Joan Elaine (Mc Inerney) Di Marzo went home to the Lord on April 26 after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s. She was 87 years old.  Born to John and Cecelia Mc Inerney in 1932, she was the eldest of three children, spending her childhood years in West Orange, New Jersey, where she learned how to dance and play sports, and where her Christian faith was born at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.  She was especially known for her incredible Irish beauty and warm heart.  A young bride to the late John Farrey, at 23 she tragically found herself to be a young widow.  She was a student of nursing at the NJ College of Medicine & Dentistry when she met her husband of 50 years, the late John Martin Di Marzo.  Together they raised their three children residing first in Livingston, relocating to Morris Plains, before settling in Short Hills.  Joan’s love for her family and home made her the cornerstone of a multitude of holiday parties and warm gatherings for family and friends. Cherished memories were made with her husband, children and extended family in Short Hills as well as many summers at the Jersey shore.

In 1970 Joan was appointed Vice President of her husband’s civil engineering firm, William Di Marzo and Son, Inc., where she worked until retirement in 1994.  She and her husband traveled extensively through many European countries, with repeated visits to Ireland and Italy, as well as South America, Canada, and Alaska. She also enjoyed attending opera and Broadway shows and in retirement honed her talents in dancing, singing and tennis, winning a senior doubles championship one summer in the Poconos, Pennsylvania.

In 1994 she and her husband retired to Toms River, NJ, where they created a full and busy life for themselves in music, ballroom dancing and social activities, including managing the Frank Sinatra Club. Joan was a faithful parishioner of St. Luke’s RC Church, in Toms River, where she was an active member of the St. Luke’s Choir for 15 years. She was an inspiration to her family and friends through her faith, and in 2001 was professed into the League Order of Preachers’ Third Order Dominican Laity, upon which she accepted the vocation to encourage, teach and counsel, leading many to return to their Christian faith.

Mrs. Di Marzo relocated to Madison, NJ, in 2018, where she received compassionate care at Sunrise of Madison Assisted Living Community. She is survived by her children, Elaine Di Marzo Sawka and Michael Sawka, of Rehoboth Beach, DE; Diane Di Marzo Higgins and James Higgins of Madison, NJ; and John and Carrie Di Marzo, of San Diego, CA; her six grandchildren, Justin, Christian, Connor, Ryan, Patrick and Jack; and her loving, devoted sister, Carol Ann Mc Inerney.  She is predeceased by her husband, John Martin Di Marzo, her parents, John and Cecelia Mc Inerney and her brother, John Mc Inerney.

Funeral services will be held privately for the family under the direction of Madison Memorial Home. Interment will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover. A mass and celebration of her life will be scheduled at a later date when permitted for family and friends to gather.  Donations can be made in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 No. Michigan Avenue, Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60601 (Alz.org); or to the Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, at 543 Springfield Ave., Summit, NJ 07901-4498 (SummitDominicans.org).