JoAnn Fitzhugh, 87, of Lexington Park, MD, peacefully passed away on November 8, 2022, at SagePoint Senior Living Services in La Plata, MD.
Born on April 17, 1935, she was the daughter of the late J. Jarold Seaber and Lois Podelco (Broadwater) of Westernport, Maryland. Later, she graduated from Bruce High School in 1953.
JoAnn was predeceased by her parents, Jarold Seaber and Lois Podelco, her first and second husbands respectively, William G Sullivan, James B Fitzhugh, Jr., and her two children, William Timothy, and Iris Hope Sullivan. She is survived by her daughter, Garnett Joy (Charles) of Charlotte Hall, MD, her two grandchildren, Paul Joy (Lorie) of Chaptico, MD, and Misty Zopelis (Joe) of Charlotte Hall, MD. She is also survived by her 10 great-grandchildren, Kellen Bradley, Kenneth Dean, Brandon Keith, Lyssa, Owen Paul, MacKenna Joy, Lilly Victoria, Madeline Elizabeth, William Charles, and Sean Joseph. She is also survived by her cousins Darlene Seaber Stefan, Dottie Raschella, Virgil Seaber, Jr., Craig Grandstaff, Jimmy Broadwater, Rita Kelly and many more friends and family.
After graduation, she stayed at home caring for her three children. Later she bartended at Town Creek Marina, Lenny’s Restaurant and owned and operated the Hollywood Inn Restaurant & Bar in Hollywood, MD. She also worked at Meis Beauty Salon as well as Mini Tech, which she retired from in 1997. After retirement Joann worked as a caregiver taking care of her mom who had dementia and later with an agency taking care of others. JoAnn loved what she did for a living and enjoyed being able to help others.
She loved pugs and owned a few over her lifetime. She also loved cats and later got involved in Feral Cat Rescue. They were her children and her life. She had as many as twelve indoor feral cats living in her home at a time and took care of at least that many outside that she fed and cared for. She truly was an animal lover. Her other hobbies were cooking and ceramics.
She was always quiet and conservative and never really, fully recovered from the loss of her daughter, Iris who passed at 7 years old. She will be dearly missed by all who got to really know her. She was such a kind and caring person who touched the lives of those she met.
The family will receive friends for the visitation on Friday, December 16, 2022, from 10:00 to 11:00 am where a service and prayers will follow at 11:00 am at Brinsfield Funeral Home, 30195 Three Notch Road, in Charlotte Hall Maryland.
Interment is private.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to AnimalReliefFund.org or ASPCA.org.
Condolences can be made to the family at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.