JoAnn M. Kunkle

JoAnn Guiton Jones Kunkle passed away unexpectedly at Wilson Hospital on October 22, 2020,at the age of 73, after a short illness. She is predeceased by her mother, Margaret Kane Guiton and father, Joseph Guiton, as well as her first husband, Gary Jones. She is survived by her beloved husband, Jerome Kunkle; her two children Jason (Jennifer) Jones, and Amanda (Alex) Jones; three step-children, Brenda (Bob) Beavan, Pamela (Ron) Elliot, and Kevin (Marie) Kunkle, many grandchildren and one great grandchild. She is lovingly remembered by her brothers and sisters, William (Angela) Guiton, Eileen (Paul) Hughes, Marilou (Michael) McMahon, Linda (James) Rose, Winifred (Thomas) Esworthy, James (Carol) Guiton, and Robert (Christine) Guiton, as well as sister-in-law Deette Sheffield (Sandy) and brothers-in-law Jeffrey Kunkle(Marjorie) and Christopher Kunkle(Robin) as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends.

JoAnn was born in Binghamton, NY on September 27, 1947, the eldest of eight children born to Margaret and Joseph Guiton. She attended Seton Catholic Highschool and graduated in 1965. She went to SUNY Brockport where she attained a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1969. JoAnn worked as a social worker at Elizabeth Church Manor on Front Street in Binghamton for many years and enjoyed working with the elderly population a great deal.

JoAnn was an avid gardener, knowing the names of each plant in her backyard, and giving advice to people about how to take care of their flowers and plants. She loved trivia. Whether it was playing Trivial Pursuit or watching Jeopardy, she was a great fan of learning new facts and researching interesting information. She was a great lover of education, often suggesting various learning tools and websites to others for themselves or their children. JoAnn was also an activist, working on phone banks, letter-writing campaigns, attending protests, and writing many letters to the editor. She saw that the political was personal. She was particularly active with a group called Indivisible Binghamton and enjoyed her internet coorespondence with many people regarding politics and the upcoming election.

JoAnn was a devoted wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend. She will be missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the charity of your choice.