Joanna Rose Tammarine

Joanna Rose Tammarine left us unexpectedly when God called her on May 26, 2024. After a life of service to others, she is now resting peacefully in heaven and protecting us all from there.

Joanna was born at St. Vincent Hospital on Monday, June 22, 1942, to Matthew Kulczak and Lottie (Burdasz) Kulczak in Toledo, Ohio. Her mother, Lottie, passed of a heart ailment when Joanna was very young, and she was thereafter raised by her father and older siblings.

A proud graduate of Central Catholic high school, Joanna fondly recalled her time there – except when one of the Sisters chastised her during typing class for looking at the typewriter keys. Not long after high school, Joanna met the love of her life – Anthony “Tony” Tammarine – on the porch of her grandmother’s house (her “Buscia”). They married in 1962 and were set to celebrate their 62nd anniversary together on June 23, 2024. After a brief time in Toledo, they moved to Sylvania, where they remained lifelong residents.

Joanna was a homemaker, and she was especially skilled at the trade. She was a laundry connoisseur, and no one could wash, dry, iron, or fold a load of laundry as expertly as her. She dedicated her life to her family, taking exceptional care not only of her children, but two generations thereafter. For each generation she took on a new role: she was “mom” for her kids, “wowo” for her grandkids, and “gigi” for her great-grandchildren. Afternoons, weekends, and sometimes even whole summers at grandma’s house remain deeply cherished memories.

Joanna was immensely proud of her loved ones’ accomplishments, large or small, and proudly boasted of them wherever she went and to whomever she met. For instance, she was known to carry an 8x10 photo of her son, Craig, “the male nurse,” in his scrubs to show friends, doctors, and even random passersby. She cherished being with her family and loved spending time with all of them as often as she could.

Her life was distinctly characterized by her profuse generosity and desire to give. She not only selflessly served her immediate family, she was known for emptying out her fridge to extended family, in-laws, friends, neighbors, and strangers alike. You couldn’t leave Joanna’s house without a loaf of her famous homemade zucchini bread and at least one bag of groceries – and often one bag was not enough! Her love for others was infectious, and it made the world a much brighter and better place. She radiated love, in a time when love is desperately needed.

She was also a religious woman. Equipped at all times with her rosary, her cross, and bountiful Hail Marys, she was prepared to pray through any and all troubles for her family. Her family’s wellbeing preoccupied much of her thinking. If she even thought she heard the siren of an ambulance, she was phoning everybody nearby to check on them and make sure they were safe.

Aside from family, Joanna loved dancing, singing, and ringing bells at Polka festivals during her early years. She loved chatting on the phone (or in person!), and was the needle that bound many threads together, talking to a wide range of family members daily and updating everyone about everyone else. She loved making others laugh, and for that purpose mastered a single, trademark “Hot Pepper” joke that she told to everyone, time and time again. She was an avid Detroit Tigers baseball fan her entire life, perhaps their biggest fan of all – unless they were losing, in which case she despised them and would never watch them again (until their next game).

Joanna will be greeted in heaven by her parents, Lottie and Mathew; her sister Mercedes Snyder, her brothers John “Poncho” and Eugene Kulczak; and countless family and friends whose life she touched so deeply.

She is survived by her husband, Anthony Tammarine; her sister, Sylvia Malinowski, her brother, Daniel Kulczak; her children, Sheryll Tammarine, Kim (Bruce) Ide, and Craig (Mary) Tammarine; her grandchildren, Derek, Anthony, Samantha, and Damon Ide, and Infinity Simon; her great-grandchildren, Sylas, Grace, and Aylah.

Please join us to celebrate Joanna’s life on Sunday, June 2, visiting hours from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, with a celebration of life service to be held at 3:00 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home (3655 King Rd., Toledo, OH, 43615). Please direct any donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Joanna’s family would greatly appreciate sharing any stories or memories you may have had with her.