Obituary of JoAnne Steiner
JoAnne Steiner, a fierce advocate and awesome mom, died peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 15 surrounded by her children at her son’s home in Cromwell, Conn. She was 69.
She was known for her radiant smile, sharp intelligence and pride for her children.
Among her many achievements included pushing public schools to improve the quality of their special education programs. She fought and won those battles in court and in the classroom.
Born in Trenton, N.J. on Oct. 18, 1947, she went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education and fine arts from New York University in 1971.
As a public school teacher in the South Bronx in the 1970s, her students adored her. That was only the start of a long career devoted to diverse causes.
Searching for the best school system to raise her children, she and her then-husband settled in Chappaqua, N.Y. in 1976, where she lived for nearly three decades.
Over that period, she focused much of her energy on being a supportive mom and improving her community. She later became a tutor to at-risk youth, to whom she also taught cooking classes.
In recent years, she returned to her love of design, becoming a go-to sales rep to designers and architects looking to craft beautiful stone interiors.
JoAnne was a devoted mom to many pets, and had a special affection for Weimaraners. She enjoyed vacationing in Maine with her kids, viewing the state’s rocky coastline, and searching for its best lobster rolls.
She is survived by her three loving children, Nina Harrison, Nevin Steiner and his wife Katherine, and Keenan Steiner; her grandson Abbott; her mother Rose Arciniaco; her sisters Judy and Joyce Arciniaco and Janice Haveson; her brother Jeffrey Arciniaco; a niece and nephew; and her cat Thyme (aka “The Princess”).
A celebration of JoAnne’s life will be held at St. Mark’s Church in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., on Sunday Nov. 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Donations in her honor may be made to the Smilow Cancer Center’s Closer to Free Fund, here: https://www.givetoynhh.org/pages/donate-pages/donate_tribute
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