Joanne D. Trainer

Joanne Donahue Trainer, wife of the late Charles J. Trainer, mother of 7 children, mother-in-law of 7, grandmother of 20, surrogate mother of hundreds, the Rock Star of Roslyn, the Queen of Thunderhead Road, the former Mayor of Abington Hospital, has died. Joanne was born in Byrnsville, Pennsylvania on March 16, 1942 to Mary and Joseph Donahue. Her father passed away when Joanne was five, and her mother went on to marry James Bradley. The family moved to Mayfair, Philadelphia when Joanne was 13. She graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School Class of 1960, then worked for Penn National Insurance Co. in Philadelphia, where she met her future husband, Charles. Joanne and Charlie were married for 34 years, before he passed away in May of 1997. Joanne worked at Abington Hospital in various positions from 1984-2008, her favorite role being the front desk operator in the Wunderle Lobby, where she single-handedly violated more HIPAA personal information rules than every other employee combined. Joanne and Charlie raised their family in the Roslyn section of Abington Township and were devout parishioners of St. John of the Cross. Joanne was a maker of ties for her husband, Jams shorts for her kids, and blankets for her grandkids. She was a culinary wonder when it came to anything from a box [see Hamburger Helper, years 1975-1983], and perfected her recipes for meatloaf and sloppy “Jo-annes”. She was a lover of chocolate, Precious Moments figurines, and people. She could often be spotted at Kohl’s, the Dollar Store, or the cemetery. Back in her heyday, she loved her Newport Light 100s and a strong Diet Coke. She was a devout reciter of Novenas, the Rosary, and detailed General Hospital summaries. Joanne was three weeks shy of her 78th birthday, but her family suspects there is a big party in heaven planned for her as she reunites with the loving family and dear friends that have gone before her. And when she met St. Peter, she is certain to have greeted him with a “Hiya, Hon.” She will be remembered for her sparkling blue eyes, her brilliant smile, her desire to make people happy, and her ability to make anyone feel like a million bucks with only a few dollars to her name. Relatives and friends are invited to call Thursday, Feb. 27, from 5-8 pm at St. Philip Neri Church 437 Ridge Pike Lafayette Hill, PA. Funeral Mass Friday at 10:30 am. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Villa, Attn: Development Office, 9701 Germantown Ave., Phila., PA 19118.