Dominican Sister of Peace JoAnn (Alexia) Lamantia, OP (76) died at the Mohun Health Care Center on September 26, 2017. She was born in 1941 to Elizabeth (Berarducci) and Philip Lamantia in Toronto, OH. She entered Dominican life in 1959 at the convent of St. Mary of the Springs, now the Dominican Sisters of Peace, and was devoted to her consecrated life for 55 years.
Sr. JoAnn held a Bachelor of Science in Education from Ohio Dominican University, and a Master of Science in Education, specializing in Reading, from Marygrove College in Michigan. She continued her studies in Microcomputing Technology at Columbus State in Columbus OH.
Sr. JoAnn shared her love of learning and of her Lord as a teacher for more than 30 years, teaching elementary school in Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. She took special joy in instilling in her pupils a love of reading, and in preparing them to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. Sister Anne Kilbride who taught with JoAnn at St. Jane de Chantal in Chicago, described her as a “Pied Piper, leading her second graders around the playground.”
As her teaching ministry drew to a close, she continued to provide child care at Holy Family in Wheeling, WV. Upon her return to Columbus, OH, she served as a receptionist at Windsong Village, and later as a tutor at the Salesian Center and the Dominican Learning Center. Of her work with these adult learners, Sr. JoAnn said, “It is truly a wonderful experience getting to know these people, and their gratitude to the Sisters is boundless. It is humbling to see how very grateful they are.”
Sr. JoAnn was also devoted to her family. As the eldest of 6 siblings, she thought and prayed for her family daily. In her reflection at Sr. JoAnn’s funeral, Sr. Joan Franks, OP, said “I would recognize her family, as well as their children, from pictures. She was always sharing her love for them.”
Sr. JoAnn Lamantia was preceded in death by her parents, Phillip and Elizabeth (Berarducci) Lamantia, and her brother, Phillip Jr. She is survived by her brothers Anthony, Paul, and James; her sister, Elizabeth Miser, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
A Vigil of Remembrance was held on Thursday, September 28 at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse Chapel in Columbus, OH. The Mass of Christian Burial Sister was held on Friday, September 29, and Sr. JoAnn was interred at St. Joseph Cemetery in Columbus.
Memorial gifts in Sr. JoAnn’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to:
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Office of Mission Advancement
2320 Airport Drive
Columbus, OH 43219