Joanne C. Zickgraf's Obituary
Joanne Charlotte Zickgraf (née Moriarty), 89, of Escondido, CA, died on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 after a brief illness.
Joanne was born on August 31st, 1934, to Daniel and Charlotte Moriarty in Sacramento, CA. Growing up, Joanne enjoyed going to baseball games and accompanying her parents on road trips to see various landmarks and points of interest across the country. After her 1952 graduation from Saint Francis High School in Sacramento, she attended Immaculate Heart College (IHC) in Los Angeles where she was a member of Delta Chi Phi sorority, President of the Student Academic Senate, and a member of the Intercollegiate History Club. She graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and went on to obtain a Master of Library Science from the University of California at Berkley in 1957.
While attending IHC, she met John (Jack) Zickgraf on a blind date at a sorority dance. They married in 1958 and started a family in 1959. After residing in Orange County for several years, Joanne and Jack and their four children moved to the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego in 1971. They spent the last 30 years residing in Escondido.
Joanne had a deep love of reading, which she passed along to her children. She had traveled the world many times over and solved countless mysteries through her reading, and was never found without a book nearby.
Once Jack retired, Joanne and he enjoyed traveling together, taking trips to Australia and New Zealand and cruises to Hawaii, Alaska and through the Panama Canal.
Joanne was a devout Catholic, having been a long-time parishioner at St. Therese Parish in San Carlos and, for the last the last 30 years, at San Rafael Church in Rancho Bernardo.
Joanne is predeceased by her parent and her husband, Jack. She is survived by their children, Kathleen, Barbara Findley (Bill), John Jr. (Margaret Kasimatis) and Colleen (Elaine Mandato); their three grandchildren, Andrew Findley, Alexa Findley, Kelly Findley; and her sister-in-law, Therese Zickgraf.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in Joanne’s name to one of the following:
• San Rafael Church, 17252 Bernardo Center Dr, San Diego, CA 92128-2086
or
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org)
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