Joanne Elizabeth Kooistra, age 89, of Sewell, New Jersey, passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Monday, May 24.

Joanne was born on June 10, 1931, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, to William W. and Mary E. Buswell (née Halliday), and grew up in nearby Amesbury, MA.  She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in English, and married her husband, John A. Kooistra, Jr., Ph.D., in 1952.  They were married for fifty-four years until John’s passing in 2006.

Joanne lived a long, good life and enjoyed many interests and hobbies. She played piano and loved downhill skiing as a youth at the Amesbury ski hill.  After her children were grown she returned to college to become a registered nurse, and practiced nursing for many years before retiring in 1994.  She then embarked on learning to quilt and became an expert quilter, creating many wonderful quilts for family and friends. She was an excellent cook and baker, particularly of pies and cheesecakes.  She enjoyed the Philadelphia Phillies, her Red Hats friends and Mah-jongg.  She especially loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Joanne is survived by her sister Jean Jones and brother John Buswell; her four children, Lynn (Charles) Higdon, James (Beth, dec.) Kooistra, Susan (Paul) Neville and Steven (Christine) Kooistra; grandchildren Megan Thieme, Michelle Lundy, Katherine (Matt) Ketterer, James A. (Kathryn) Neville, and Sarah, Haley and Daniel Kooistra; great-grandchildren Evan, Natalie, Liam and Graham Thieme; Maxwell and Camryn Lundy; Nolan Ketterer; and several nieces and nephews.   

A celebration of Joanne’s life was held on Thursday, June 10, which would have been her 90th birthday, at the home of Steve & Chris Kooistra, 841 Mantua Blvd., Sewell, NJ.  Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate her life.

Donations in honor of Joanne’s memory may be made to: The American Nurses Foundation  https://www.nursingworld.org/ or to Quilts Beyond Borders https://quiltsbeyondborders.wordpress.com/

Fertig Funeral Home