Joan Roche-Heinrich

It is with a heavy heart that we lovingly announce the passing of Joan Roche-Heinrich, whose family was the center of her life.  She loved being a home-maker, giving all of herself to raising her daughters and later in life, spending time with her grandchildren.

Born and raised in Jersey City, NJ and a nursing student at Jersey City Medical Center, she came to Long Island with her parents when they moved to Uniondale, where she was a long time resident until moving to East Meadow. 

In her younger years, she loved swimming and would voluntarily offer advice on a good stroke.  Joan took pleasure in the simple things – gardening, baking and maintaining her home.  She enjoyed watching classic movies on TV and was happy to recite the names of the actors.  She also loved music and with the kitchen radio on, would dance when the mood hit.  It’s no surprise that going to the movies and dining out were her favorite activities.  If there was live music, that was the cherry on top, because she loved to dance!

A widow at 72, she started a dinner group for anyone who wanted to go out to eat with others who were “tired of eating alone”.  Publishing it through the Saint Raphael’s bulletin, she developed the dinner group and arranged weekly dinners at various local restaurants for 10 years.  And through that group, learned to play Mahjong at 75!

Joan was a cherished part of countless family gatherings, sharing her laughter, wisdom and loving spirit – always ready to give a super strong back rub to anyone in need!

Joan is the beloved mother of Karen Roche-Ferreyra and Patricia Frank, a cherished grandmother to Christopher, Jennifer, Kieran and Maeve and great-grandmother to Maxwell and Delilah.  She was a loving wife to the late Albert Roche and the late Jack Heinrich.  She will be deeply missed and will remain in our hearts forever as we celebrate her life and cherish the memories she left behind.

In lieu of flowers, you may consider making a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in her memory.

May she rest in eternal peace and may her loving spirit live forever in the hearts of those whose lives she touched. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joan Roche-Heinrich, please visit our floral store.