Joan Keron Di Candito

Joan Ellen Keron Di Candito left earthly life in the early afternoon of October 14, 2023 at Zionsville Meadows, her home for the past six years.  Daughter of a copper miner, Joan was born on August 16, 1932 in Butte, Montana to John Anthony (Jack) Keron and Mary Agnes (Marie) Connors Keron.  In 1934, the family headed west to San Francisco where Jack was employed as an iron worker in the construction of the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridges.  The entire family walked across the Golden Gate Bridge on opening day in 1937.  50 years later, in 1987, Joan and her sister, Marie, would repeat that walk to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the bridge.

Joan spent the remainder of her childhood in Los Angeles where she graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in 1950.  She was a bank teller/supervisor at Security First National Bank.  On Christmas Eve 1954, she was introduced to Joseph Di Candito.  They married on October 22, 1955 and celebrated 62 years of marriage a few months before Joe’s death in 2018.  Joe and Joan welcomed four children, Raymond, Anne, Michael, and Mary between 1956 and 1961.  Devoted mother, Joan, made legendary meals and baked goods from scratch for her children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors.  From the time her children were small and until she reached her mid-eighties, Joan never stopped inviting anyone and everyone in her orbit for an amazing meal.  She made a special point of inviting friends who had recently lost their spouses to eat, and she even delivered homemade meals to many.  Joe and Joan paid particular attention to friends who were ill and alone, driving them to appointments for chemotherapy, dialysis, and other medical treatments.

Joan loved beauty and was a talented seamstress and a gifted watercolorist and painter. She signed very few of her beautiful paintings and was surprised that people found them special.  Those paintings will be forever treasured by children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Joan’s Catholic faith was the guiding star of her life.  She was a devoted parishioner at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Westfield.  A devotee of the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, she prayed unceasingly and never lost faith or fell into bitterness, despite illness and chronic pain.

Due to disabling mobility issues, Joan spent her last six years of life receiving skilled nursing care at Zionsville Meadows.  There, she enjoyed weekly scrabble tournaments, jigsaw puzzles, avid reading, and watching the seasonal changes in the courtyard just outside her room.  She weathered the endless COVID lockdowns with patience and incomparable grace.  She was kind to everyone and even to those who were not kind to her. Her sincere love and deep concern for others made her the favorite of many.

The family would like to thank the staff at Zionsville Meadows and Anew Hospice for their loving care; Fr. Travis Stephens and Fr. Dave Newton of St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church in Zionsville for their dedicated pastoral care; and her late sister’s children for their constant letters, photos, gifts, and Starbucks cards for Joan’s coveted cappuccinos.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Joe, her parents, her dear sister/best friend, Marie, her daughter-in-law, Laureen Di Candito, and her beloved grandson, Matthew Snow.  She is survived by her four children, Raymond of Sylmar, California; Anne (Tom) Griffin of San Antonio, Texas; Michael Di Candito of Boulder, Colorado; Mary (Dave) Snow of Zionsville, IN; grandsons, Donato (Kathleen) De Luca of North Hollywood, California; John Di Candito of Salt Lake City, Utah; Stephen Snow of St. Louis, Missouri; Austin Snow of Carmel, Indiana, and her great-grandson, Isaac De Luca.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, 1870 W. Oak St., Zionsville, IN 46077 on October 19, 2023, at 11:00 am. A private burial will follow at Hutton Cemetery, Zionsville.  Arrangements entrusted to Simplicity Funeral and Cremation Care, Zionsville.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Jay Nolan Community Services for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and developmental disabilities, in the name of Joan’s firstborn son, Raymond Di Candito, at https://jaynolan.org/ or 15501 San Fernando Mission Blvd., Ste. 200, Mission Hills, CA 91345.