The North Georgia News

Blairsville, GA  30512

www.nganews.com

(no corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)

July 25, 2007                 Page 5C

joan marie gaeta

Mrs. Joan Marie Gaeta of Hiawassee, GA entered her new life in Christ on July 17th, 2007 at the age of 68.  A life-long non-smoker, Joan waged a courageous three year fight against lung cancer.  A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, July 21st at 11 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2829 Young Harris Highway, Blairsville, GA, 30512.  A gathering of friends and family will take place afterward at Mountain Presbyterian Church next door.  Joan was the daughter of the late Joseph and Julia Celtruda of Ossining, NY.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Richard J. Gaeta; her five children, Marie and husband John Cressler of Smyrna, GA, Theresa and husband Roger Andretta of Woodstock, GA, Richard J. Gaeta, Jr. and wife Sherri of Acworth, GA, Christian and husband Richard Pink, Jr. of Atlanta, GA Joseph A. Gaeta and wife Alexa of Austell, GA; twelve grandchildren; sister, Mary Ellen Tanaka of Rochester, MN and her brother Joseph Celtruda of Hopewell Junction, NY.

Joan received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine as well a Masters in Education from Oglethorpe College in Atlanta, Ga.  After leaving New York and then Connecticut, she was a Georgia resident for 32 years, living in Roswell and Macon before retiring to Hiawassee.  Joan was a full-time homemaker as well as a part-time Math tutor and substitute teacher.  When her children left her nest, she began teaching English, math, and religion at St. Jude the apostle Elementary School in Atlanta and later at St. Joseph’s in Macon. Service to others was always a priority for Joan as evidenced by her work with the Glennmary Home Missions (a Catholic ministry for the rural poor), her work as a volunteer tutor at the Nazareth Home in Macon (a group facility for unwed teenagers), and her volunteer efforts at St. Joseph’s Community Outreach in Macon (distributing food to those in need).  Joan was active in each church parish she ever belonged to.  Among her other church roles, she has been a extraordinary minister to the sick, a liturgical minister, the coordinator of art and environment, a choir member, and a bookkeeper.  Joan was also very active in various social activities.  An avid reader, she was always a member of a book club.  She enjoyed social get-togethers and group aerobic exercise.  Joan was the Vice-President of the Roswell Historical Society in the late 1970’s.  As a retiree at age 63, she began taking art classes for the first time, taking up watercolor painting as a hobby and becoming extremely adept at it.  She will be missed greatly by all those who knew and loved her – family and friends and everyone touched by her life.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Lung Cancer Alliance is welcomed (www.lungcanceralliance.org  P.O. Box 630972, Baltimore, MD 21263-0972).

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com.