If you were a friend or family member of Joan, she shared with you her prescription for dealing with almost everything in life: Patience, Prayer and Perseverance. In the final months of her life, Joan followed her own advice and relied on her deep faith and confidence in the intercession of the Blessed Mother to guide her and all who accompanied her through those difficult days. She very much wished to die in the home that she established with her husband, Edwin J. Smits, Jr., in 1961. With the assistance and kindness of many, she was able to do so.

Before meeting and marrying Ed, she was the proud product of Bayonne, New Jersey. Her Mom and Dad, Andrew and Helen Slivocka, pre-deceased her as did her siblings Helen Cerbone, Frances Ratner and Andrew Slivocka. With all of them and her sister Marge Cornacchio and brother Richard Slivocka, she had fond memories of family gatherings, her time at St. Joseph's parish, friendships made that survived time and distance, and the usual mayhem and merriment. She particularly enjoyed her high school years at Holy Family Academy, especially being on the basketball team and serving as captain.

Soon enough, Joan met Ed and grew her circle of family and friends as they journeyed from New Jersey to Delaware. Tragically, Ed died on August 29th, 1963 shortly after moving into their new home and Joan and her young children went on by employing patience, prayer and perseverance.

Joan and Ed put down spiritual roots at St. Catherine of Siena parish and Joan nurtured those roots her entire life. She sent her children to school there and was involved in their activities, including some assistant coaching of the basketball team. She was involved in numerous and varied ministries at St. Catherine's, including serving on the parish council and the bereavement support ministry. She supported the parish, various local charities and especially the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Catherine's to the best of her ability. Never wealthy herself, she was nonetheless generous.

Joan was an involved and informed citizen. She was a strong supporter of her neighborhood, local school district, county, state and nation. She never missed a vote and served many years as a poll worker.

Joan's work life was varied, too. She worked at Johnson & Johnson, Salesianum High School, DuPont, John Wanamaker and Lord & Taylor. Her employment at Wanamaker's interested her because she followed fashion. She learned to sew and made many outfits for herself and her children. She was a "style icon" and a sought-after model in the days of fundraiser fashion shows. People remembered her matching hats, coats, shoes, purses and gloves. She was especially renowned for her hats.

She followed all sports, including the local high school teams and Joan closely read the sports section. She was an avid fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Even though bedridden for the last several months, she was able to follow football and then basketball, especially this year's women's NCAA basketball tournament. As a former player herself, she cheered the progress and prowess of those female athletes.

Also among Joan's interests was golf and she always trying to cajole others into taking up the game. She was a talented gardener and her garden showed it. She enjoyed traveling, especially to visit family and friends. She acquired her passport shortly before receiving her diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in anticipation of visiting her grandson and his wife in Canada. After receiving her diagnosis, she joked that it was now her passport to heaven.

Joan cared most deeply about family and friends. If you were her friend, your family became her friends, too. People were often stunned at her memory of them and their loved ones. Her family (Donna Smits and daughter Kelli Schlitt, Diane and Bob Lein and their children Jenna Lein and spouse Robert Rudolph, Bryan Lein and spouse Christine Forest, Nick Lein and partner Jacob Baldwin, Laurie and Dave Bockhaus and daughter Lacey Bockhaus, not to mention "the greats", Derek and Declan Rudolph) are all left with a Joan-sized hole in their lives that can only be filled by continuing to reach out and care for themselves and others. Joan already knew this hard truth through enduring the deaths of her husband Ed, her son David Francis Smits in 1995 and her granddaughter, Jillian Robyn Lein in 1994. Now she will be reunited with them and all of her and your loved ones for eternity. As she said when she learned of her terminal diagnosis in December, "Time to party." Let the heavenly party begin!

A visitation will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 2503 Centerville Rd, Wilmington, DE 19808 on Friday April 26, 2024 from 10 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:30 A.M. Burial will be held privately at All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in honor of Joan to St. Vincent de Paul Society, care of St. Catherine of Siena, at the above address.