Joan Mary Catanzaro Beidler's Obituary
Joan Mary Catanzaro Beidler died on February 21, 2025 at Bayleigh Chase, Easton, Maryland. She was 91 years old.
Joan was born on November 12, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the eldest child of Michael Edward Catanzaro and Ida Gismondi Catanzaro.
She graduated from the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy in Pittsburgh, after which she enrolled at Pennsylvania State University in 1951. While at Penn State she joined the Theta Phi Alpha Sorority, through which she met her husband-to-be, Erwin L. Beidler (Win), a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She graduated with a BS in Education in 1955, and began elementary school teaching positions in Pittsburgh until she married Win on January 26, 1957, a snowy winter day in Pittsburgh. Thereafter she taught in State College until Win finished his studies in 1958.
Joan and Win moved to Berea, Ohio in 1959, where Joan continued her teaching career; she and Win thereafter relocated to Wichita, Kansas in 1963. They returned to Pennsylvania in 1967 with their three children and happily made their home in Greensburg. As her children grew older, Joan joined the staff of Seton Hill College (now University) in Greensburg as the Director of Interculteral Student Services, a position she proudly held from 1987 to 2001. In 2010, she and Win moved to St. Michaels, Maryland.
Throughout her life Joan devoted substantial time and effort to volunteer and charitable causes. She served as a member of the Westmoreland County Girl Scout Council, on the board of the Greensburg YWCA and not only acted as a docent at the Westmoreland County Museum of Art but also was integral to its fundraising through her service as chairman of its Gourmet Dinner and Museum Ball Committees. She was recognized for her extraordinary services to and on behalf of Rotary International in 1986 when she received the Paul Harris Fellow Award. Joan later became a regular volunteer at the St. Michael's Library and an active member of the local YMCA.
Joan was happiest in the kitchen with her family and friends, and was delighted in preparing ample homemade meals, canning and freezing home grown vegetables and baking cookies, cakes and pies. She played tennis, skied, hiked and picnicked at every opportunity; she was a deeply competitive player of card and board games.
Joan is survived by her children Linda Beidler-D'Aguilar and her husband Dayne D'Aguilar of Nassau, Bahamas, Leslie Parkerson and her husband David Parkerson of McDaniel, Maryland and Robert Beidler and his wife Lynne of Denver, Pennsylvania as well as her grandchildren Mary Elizabeth Parkerson and Blake, Nathan and Jacob Beidler. She is also survived by her brother Michael Caruso.
She was preceded in death by her parents Michael E. and Ida Catanzaro, her husband Win Beidler and her brother Michael E. Catanzaro Jr.
A memorial service will be held at Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Easton, Maryland on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 11:00 in the morning. Internment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Audubon Center at Pickering Creek, 11450 Audubon Lane, Easton, Maryland 21601 (pickeringcreek.org) or the St. Michael's Branch of the Talbot County Free Library, 1013 S. Talbot Street, Maryland 21663 (tcfl.org).
Arrangements are entrusted to The Framptom Funeral Home-Ostrowski Chapel of St. Michaels
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