Joan "Joanne" Ann D. Caffrey

Joanne was born November 14, 1941, in Atlantic City, N.J., where she learned to swim in the Atlantic Ocean, attended Catholic schools, and met her husband of 59 years. Joanne came from a family of teachers, and she shared how her mother, May I. Russell, sometimes taught physical education classes on the beach when Holy Spirit High School was still on the island. Joanne graduated from Holy Spirit in 1959 before attending Montclair State College in Montclair, N.J., where she received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and her New Jersey teacher’s license in 1963. She taught mathematics at Freehold High School in Freehold, N.J., for one year before marrying Robert A. Caffrey.

As their family grew, Joanne and Bob moved to Levittown, Pa., in 1965 and joined St. Michael the Archangel Parish. Joanne worked occasionally as a substitute teacher at St. Michael’s School. In Levittown, and later in Pascagoula, Joanne was known for never excluding any child who came to her door to play or who needed help. During the Levittown years, the Caffrey house was the most popular stop in the neighborhood at Halloween, when the family awarded a homemade candied apple to any child who performed a song as their “trick” to get their “treat.”

In January 1978, the family relocated to Pascagoula, Miss., where Joanne and Bob would spend the next 43 years. They were active members of Sacred Heart Parish in Pascagoula before moving to Katy, Texas, in February 2021. For many years, Joanne sang in the Sacred Heart Parish choir, where she formed lasting friendships with her fellow alto and bass singers. In 2014, Joanne and Bob celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a Mass at Sacred Heart Church and a gathering at the Delmas Center attended by all their children and grandchildren, who sang and played instruments during the Mass.

In Pascagoula, Joanne first taught mathematics part-time at the Pascagoula High School Annex, and then ran the mathematics tutoring program at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College in Gautier, Miss. She accepted a full-time position at Our Lady of Victories Central High School in 1981; during her years at OLV, Joanne was the faculty sponsor for the boys’ soccer team and the sponsor for the first boys’ cross country team, which won a state championship.

In 1986, Joanne became a full-time faculty member at Pascagoula High School, where she remained until retiring in 2002. While at PHS, Joanne helped implement the Advanced Placement (AP) mathematics curriculum, supervised the math quiz bowl team, and was named Teacher of the Year for the 1999-2000 academic year. Joanne took great care with letters of recommendation for her top students, especially those applying to the service academies. Twice, Joanne was named a STAR teacher, an honor designated by a high-achieving student; she received this honor once while at OLV High School and once at PHS.

For several years after retiring, Joanne joined fellow teachers in test preparation sessions to help students taking the SAT and ACT. While in Pascagoula, Joanne was active in her local chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa and her book club. After moving to Texas, Joanne was an active member of St. Faustina Catholic Church.

Joanne is survived by her beloved husband of 59 years, Robert A. “Bob” Caffrey; two daughters and their husbands, Mary Caffrey and Thomas J. Hastie Jr., of Robbinsville, N.J.; and Florence and Michael Bourg of Harahan, La.; three sons and their wives, Leo and Christina Caffrey of Fulshear, Texas; Thomas and Virginia Caffrey of Hammond, La.; and Edward and Tyleen Caffrey of Clovis, N.M; 13 grandchildren, Seth, Molly, Cecilia, and Elise Bourg; Conor, Ryan, Taylor, and Mary Caffrey; Thomas J. Hastie III and Robert Hastie; and Jacob, Claire, and Susan Caffrey; and one great-grandchild, Khloe Brown. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, godchildren, and extended family and friends.

In addition to her mother, Joanne was predeceased by her brother, George A. Russell; her sister, Patricia M. Russell, and her grandchild, Mary Elizabeth Caffrey.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 22, at St. Faustina Catholic Church, 28102 FM 1093, Fulshear, Texas. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. in the Church. Burial will follow immediately at Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Sealy, Texas.

The Mass will be simulcast, with a link to be provided by St. Faustina Catholic Church.

Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers can be made to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of New Orleans, 3500 Canal St., New Orleans, La. 70119.