Joan R. Adams

April 11, 1934 - May 21, 2020

Joan R. Adams, 86 of Willoughby Hills, passed away Thursday, May 21, 2020 at home. She was born April 11, 1934 in Cleveland to the late Bartholomew and Rose Giacomin. Over her lifetime, Joan worked for many corporations as an executive secretary. She and her daughter, Carol often worked in the same neighborhood, and having lunch together was the highlight of their days. While working full-time Joan attended Notre Dame College of Ohio on weekends, majoring in business and marketing. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Joan also worked for the Mayor of Shaker Heights and dabbled in realty a bit. Joan was an avid reader and especially enjoyed reading memoirs. She enjoyed going to book sales and rummage sales and playing pinochle with her friends. She was a talented piano player who could play by ear, and her piano was a prized possession given to her by her father. Joan enjoyed riding her three-wheeler and could often be seen pedaling around the neighborhood. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Willoughby and a member of the Legion of Mary. Her mission with the Legion was to visit the sick in the hospital. Joan’s grandchildren were the apples of her eye. The grandkids called her Nonna. Nonna taught them to bake her famous chocolate chip cookies and to make pasta. She and the kids went on day adventures and did art projects, such as painting rocks. Each year Joan traveled to Portland to visit her grandsons there. She attended their baseball and soccer games, staged classic song shows with them, and baked their favorite cakes. They often explored the sights in Oregon. Joan really loved to travel. She took numerous road trips with her son, Mike, and his wife Angie, to visit Sugar Creek Amish Village, to explore wineries, or just to bop around the Ohio countryside. She went to Hawaii with her sister, Carolyn. Once when Joan visited Portland, her daughter, Marilyn surprised her with an Amtrak trip to Seattle to see the Christmas sights and sounds and do some shopping. Joan talked about that trip for weeks. Joan was loved, admired, and teased for her many sayings. For her eightieth birthday, her children put together a slide presentation of all her famous sayings and projected it in the living room. You might say Joan would go around Robin Hood’s Barn for a good saying, and she wouldn’t make any bones about it! Survivors include her children, Marilyn (Raymond) Berardinelli, Carol (Bob) Nagy and Michael (Angela Cirino-Adams) Adams; grandchildren, Robert, Alex and Gregory Berardinelli and Michaela and Morrigan Nagy; great-granddaughter, Kaili Berardinelli; sisters, Marie Mauer and Carolyn Graham; brother, Joseph (Diane) Giacomin and many other loving family members. Preceding Joan in death is her former husband and friend, Lee Adams. Private family visitation will be held at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave. Mentor, OH, 44060. A public Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 pm on Wednesday May 27, 2020 at Immaculate Conception Church, 37932 Euclid Ave, Willoughby Ohio, 44094. Please meet at the church. Per current Covid-19 guidelines, social distancing and masks are required for those attending Mass. If you prefer to attend mass virtually, contact Mike, Angie, or Carol. A private family burial will take place at All Souls Cemetery, Chardon. In lieu of public visiting hours and to celebrate Joan’s life, we have planned an innovative activity. You may again contact Mike, Angie, or Carol for more information. Send flowers and offer condolences at www.brunners.com.