JoAnn Bernadette Chaunce was born on Oct. 21, 1946, to Ann Irene Yanits Smith and John J. Smith of Youngstown, Pa. As an only child, she grew up with her cousins Rudy, Eddie, and Raymond, who were like brothers and lived next door. Her mother and father were both from large families, most of whom lived nearby, so JoAnn was surrounded by numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins, whom she stayed close with and kept in contact with throughout the years.
Growing up in the mountains of Western Pennsylvania, with visits to her uncle’s farm and walks in the woods, cultivated a deep love of nature and rural life, and left many fond memories. In her younger years, JoAnn lived in a log cabin, before her parents built a house next door, where she grew into adulthood and where her parents remained. As a child she took singing and piano lessons from nuns at the local church, and learned to sew her own clothes. Once her mother took her to a retreat in North Carolina, where they met and became friends with Peace Pilgrim, who would visit them in Youngstown whenever she was nearby.
JoAnn met the love of her life, Richard W. Chaunce, while attending Penn State. At Penn State, JoAnn also made lifelong friends with Cathy Grebner. After Rich’s graduation, he and JoAnn were married in June of 1966 in the grotto of St. Vincent’s Basilica. The young couple honeymooned in Ocean City, N.J., and Mountain City, Tenn., where Rich had spent summer vacations on his uncle’s farm.
JoAnn and Rich lived in Boston for the next few years, and visited the North Shore and Cape Cod on weekends and holidays. On the advice of a friend, they went to Martha’s Vineyard, and explored the Island by bicycle. That was the beginning of JoAnn’s love of the Island that would always from then on be her special place. An avid beachcomber, JoAnn loved everything about beaches — lighthouses, seagulls, sunsets, sunrises, moonrises, seashells, waves, seaglass, swimming, and beach stones and all the rest.
In 1970, JoAnn and Rich left Boston and drove to Acadia, which became another place that would be dear to their hearts. They then drove to Pennsylvania, where they would settle down and raise a family. They lived in Aston, then Media Parkway, where they met lifelong friends Katie and Bob Grange. In 1972, their son Robert was born, and in 1973, their daughter ElisaBeth. They moved to West Chester, Pa., in 1974, and spent their retirement years between their family home in West Chester and their home in Oak Bluffs. In 2012, their grandson Eliot Robert Steines was born. Eliot brought immense light and happiness to JoAnn’s life.
Above all, JoAnn was a mom. She was a wonderful, caring, and loving mother. JoAnn’s endless love for her children and loved ones was always selfless and unconditional. She was beaming and full of joy when her family was together. Her beautiful blue eyes were never brighter than when in the presence of those whom she loved. JoAnn employed her sewing skills one Halloween to create a monarch butterfly costume for Beth and a dragon costume for Rob. Many cherished times together as a family included visits to Longwood Gardens and other nearby arboretums, the Brandywine River Museum, picking apples with the family at the orchard across the street, swimming, and driving around the countryside outside West Chester, sunsets at State Beach and Menemsha, driving to the 1982 World’s Fair, visiting family in Tennessee, trips to Disney World with breakfasts at the Crystal Palace and rides on “It’s a Small World,” colored eggs on Grandma’s maple tree, riding alongside JoAnn on her red Schwinn bicycle on the boardwalk in Ocean City, and visiting the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the fall.
When asked recently what a perfect day would be like, JoAnn answered, “A day with my family and puppies around me.” “Like today, then?” we asked. “Yes, just like today,” she said.
JoAnn always wanted to know about your day and what you had been up to. She was curious about all the details, and listened raptly. Her interest was genuine and touching.
Vacations and holidays would be spent visiting family in Youngstown and Ohio, camping, and going to the beach in Ocean City, Md.; Rehoboth, Del.; and Martha’s Vineyard. Camping at Webb’s and staying at the Causeway Harborview. In 2011, JoAnn and Rich finally bought a home in Oak Bluffs to be able to be on the Island with their son Rob more of the year.
The family would leaf-peep in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire in the fall, staying in cottages and bed-and-breakfasts. JoAnn absolutely loved autumn foliage. She would always ask Rich and her children to drive around to see the colors whenever they had a chance. She also loved to drive around with her family to look at Christmas lights and luminaries on Christmas Eve. It became a holiday tradition for the family. JoAnn often would sing and play piano at holidays, especially Christmas.
JoAnn loved flowers (especially lilies, peonies, sunflowers, and dahlias), all things lemon, trees (especially maples and magnolias), rainbows, the colors purple and blue, puppies, books on spirituality and metaphysics, art, music, and most of all her family. JoAnn also loved celestial events, and it was not uncommon for her to wake up the children and bundle them up to go outside to watch any lunar eclipse or a meteor shower. Sunsets, sunrises, and moonrises were equally enjoyed. As her children grew and made lives of their own, JoAnn could be relied upon to call up to remind them of any upcoming meteor shower or lunar eclipse. She encouraged her children to follow their dreams, and supported their interests throughout their lives — art and music, swimming, traveling, skiing, playing, and loving life.
JoAnn and Rich had been spending half of the year in West Chester with her daughter Beth, grandson Eliot, and son-in-law Tom, and half on Martha’s Vineyard with her son Rob and daughter-in-law Wendi. In 2023, she began a valiant struggle with cancer. On Oct. 6, 2025, during the full moon, JoAnn passed away peacefully, surrounded by her beloved family and puppies in her home on Martha’s Vineyard. She will be dearly missed and remembered always by so many who knew and loved her kind and precious spirit.
A memorial service will be held at the Temenos Retreat Center in West Chester, Pa., on Oct. 29 at 6 pm.