Joyce J Lombardi

Joyce Lombardi, loving and challenging mother of Lin Daniels and Carole Lowenberg, died in the early morning of June 3rd, surrounded by her daughters and son in law, Bob Morris, in Port St. Lucie, Florida. She had just celebrated her 80th birthday. She grudgingly succumbed to her mercifully short bout with cancer. In addition to Lin, Carole and Bob, she left behind her daughter in law, Angela Schmidt, who was able to help her through her final transition using her skills as a healer. Her much loved granddaughters Jordan and Kelsey Morris and Jade McReynolds, will miss her and always carry her in their hearts.

Joyce was born in New York City to Dorothy and Charles Jackson. She grew up in the village like atmosphere of the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, among so many members of her extended family.

She was a true child of the 1950s. She wanted to grow up and be married in a hurry. She did so and gave birth to little Linda at the tender age of 16, followed 3 years later by Carole.

She enjoyed the life that she longed for until age 26, when she found herself alone to raise the girls on her own. She was now a woman of the sixties, forging her way in a world that offered limited options. Her strong will enabled her to push forward to support herself and her children. She always told them that they were her greatest accomplishment.

Five years later she married Nick Cordovano, with whom she spent the next 20 years of her life. She was brought into the fold of his big Italian family and enjoyed many great times, as well as meals, with the Cordovano clan. She had found the extended family she longed for. Sadly Nick died, suddenly, of a stroke, leaving her grief stricken.

After a brief marriage to Buzz Sherry, Joyce found the love again in Tony Lombardi.
They married and moved to Florida, where they spent five happy years. Sadly Tony passed away too soon, but she truly treasured her time with him and their new home and life in sunny Florida. They were happily far away from the snow, ice and sleet that Joyce always hated. She adored the home they created, and she felt that her dream had finally come true. In the eleven years since Tony's passing she discovered that "she was going to make it after all" and treasured her independence. She enjoyed relatively good health and was extremely proud of the fact that she had finally kicked her fifty-five year smoking habit. Unfortunately the damage had already been done, yet she was able to enjoy another eight years despite the COPD that rendered her short of breath.

Joyce enjoyed time shared with her daughters, both when they would visit her in Florida (with or without the families) as well as her visits to them all in California.

With her daughter Lin she reluctantly acquiesced to forays into nature in Yosemite, the California coast, as well as Hawaii. In unguarded moments she sometimes was able to express the majesty and divine in these places. While this was atypical, by doing so she revealed that she had an innate spiritual side. But oh, how she loved those Casinos!

With Carole she enjoyed many a Lobster dinner and found herself at numerous times viewing less-than-appropriate movies (like Borat and Knocked Up) with her squirming granddaughters. It became a family tradition.

She fiercely loved her daughters and was happy beyond measure that she left them with spouses who loved and cared for them. She adored her granddaughters Jordan and Kelsey and took total delight in the newest addition to her family--Jade Elizabeth.

She will be dearly missed by her longtime friends Dorothy Haley, Adrienne Desio and June Pretty.

Her family would like to express deep gratitude to everyone at Treasure Coast Hospice, and requests that those who wish
to send flowers would instead make a small donation to the Hospice in Joyce's name. When Joyce first arrived at the hospice house she looked around, felt all the love and attention from the entire staff, and said that she was in "pre-heaven." (St. Lucie Hospice House, 5090 Dunn Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34981)