JoAnn McFarlin, aged 83, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, April 27th, 2023, while surrounded by family. JoAnn was a loving and dedicated mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was born on October 28, 1939, the only child of Margaret (Lemke) and Roman Jacoboski and grew up in Wausau, Wisconsin where she loved to ice skate and ski. In 1957 she moved to Milwaukee to get her nursing diploma, and at the age of 40 and while still working full-time, she went back to school for a Bachelor of Nursing degree with a specialty in geriatrics. She worked as a nurse in Milwaukee for 45 years.
For the last 30 years JoAnn split her time between Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin where she raised her three children, Jody, Jane and Jill, and Riverview, Florida, where her three grandchildren, Jenna, Jackson and Jordan grew up. She was recently blessed with two great-grandsons, Brooks (4 years) and Brady (2 years) and became lovingly known as GG (Great Grandma). She was overjoyed to attend the wedding of her youngest grandson, Jordan and Rachael on March 18, 2023. JoAnn is also survived by Julie, Jody’s wife; Robert, Jenna’s husband; and Erick, Jane’s husband.
JoAnn was an avid swimmer, bicyclist and hiker. She hiked all over the United States and the world with friends from her Wisconsin and Florida hiking clubs. She was also a die-hard fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers. She volunteered many hours with the Wisconsin-Go-Hiking Club and the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Trails Association on hiking trail maintenance. JoAnn was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Brandon, Florida for over 20 years and was an integral part of their Women’s Ministry, Meals on Wheels Ministry and the Koinonia small group Bible Study. She will be remembered for her kindness, sense of humor, generosity and resilience, as well as her dedication to her family and friends. Many of us will also miss her home-made pot scrubbers and chocolate-dipped cookies.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 402 East Lumsden Road, Brandon, FL 33511.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Meals on Wheels program at JoAnn’s church at the address above (with “in memory of JoAnn McFarlin” on the memo line of your check), the Florida Trails Association online or by check to 1022 NW 2nd St., Gainesville, FL 32601, or the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy online or by check to 2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20037.
