Joan A. Ruopoli

Joan A. Ruopoli, a kind, thoughtful, and faith-filled woman, passed away on April 16, 2026, at the age of 73. She was born on November 2, 1952, on Governor’s Island Military Base in New York, and from the beginning of her life, she was surrounded by the love of her family and the strength of a devoted single mother who raised her and her four sisters with care and determination.

Joan was the middle child of five girls and shared a particularly close bond with her sisters throughout her life. She graduated from Franklin K. Lane High School and carried with her the values of family, loyalty, and resilience that shaped the rest of her days. She loved being with her sisters and extended family in New York and remained deeply connected to them through frequent visits, phone calls, and FaceTime, always making time to stay close to the people she loved most.

Joan met Tony through a mutual friend, and their story quickly became one of lifelong devotion and partnership. Tony had a part-time job where he collected money and brought it to Joanie, and that arrangement continued in one form or another for the rest of their lives. Their relationship truly began when Joanie moved into a new apartment and asked Tony to help her paint it. That simple act of kindness marked the beginning of a beautiful love story. Joanie and Tony were married on April 18, 1982, and together they built a life centered on love, family, and home.

Their family grew with the birth of twins AJ and Dana on July 9, 1983. In 1986, when Tony was offered a job in Chicago, the family toured a home in Naperville. Joanie’s response was unforgettable. She told Tony, “If you buy me that house, I’ll move here with you.” He did, and the family made their dream home in Naperville that same year. It became a place filled with warmth, laughter, and countless memories.

Joanie was a devoted mother to AJ and Dana and a constant source of support, encouragement, and love. She was a member of Naperville Presbyterian Church for 35 years and lived her faith in the way she cared for others. She volunteered at AJ and Dana’s junior high in the office and coordinated Senior Sailibration at her children’s high school. Her home was always open to her children’s friends, and it was not unusual for her to welcome extra guests for holidays or extended stays. She had a gift for making everyone feel at home.

She was known for her wonderful sense of humor and her ability to make people laugh in both good times and sad times. Joanie loved decorating and creating a beautiful, welcoming home for her family and friends. She also loved babysitting for local families and, later in life, for her grandchildren, whom she adored. Her grandchildren lived nearby and were frequent visitors to her home. She cherished their concerts, soccer games, birthday parties, and everyday moments, and she treasured the close relationship she shared with each of them.

Joanie lived a full and remarkable life despite battling a degenerative lung disease since 1979. As her children were in high school and college, her health declined to the point that she was placed on the transplant list for new lungs. In 2007, she received her new lungs, and that gift gave her 18 and a half more years of life, far beyond the average expectation. Those years allowed her to see both of her children married and to welcome four grandchildren into the world, blessings that brought her immense joy.

She is survived by her loving husband of 44 years, Tony; her daughter, Dana Miles (Dan Scott) and Dan’s son Ethan; her son, AJ (Stephanie) Ruopoli; her grandchildren, Ethan, Reese, Levi, and Natalie; her sister Maryjane (Guy) Lomonaco; her sister Eileen (Larry) Wunsch; her sister Maureen (Joe) Locicero; her brother-in-law Andrew Scaturro; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister Janet Scaturro.

Joan will be remembered for her kindness, her thoughtfulness, her deep faith, and the love she poured into her family and everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her life was a testament to devotion, strength, and grace, and her memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved her.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to https://www.organtransplantsupport.org/

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