Obituary of JoAnn B. Solomon
JoAnn was a cherished grandmother, mother, aunt and wife during her incredible 91
years of life. She passed away peacefully at home, in the early hours of Saturday,
December 3, 2022.
JoAnn will be remembered for her compassionate nature, her playfulness and her
endearing stubbornness. Her unconditional love transformed the lives of everyone who
was lucky enough to know her. She illustrated how to mold your heart to accept, feel
and learn the actions of love. There is no better feeling than being around someone that
loves you unconditionally.
JoAnn had a long and full life. She was born on September 22, 1931, in Oklahoma to
Philip and Bonnie Bluck, who passed away in her early childhood years. JoAnn spent
time in foster care in New York and was eventually adopted by her uncle, Paul Goeltz
and his wife, in Verona, N.J. She attended Verona High School, where she met the one
and only love of her life, her future husband, Marvin Solomon. She graduated in 1949
and shortly after marrying, together, they ran the Ye Olde Mushroom Farm restaurant in
West Orange prior to settling in Livingston and Spring Lake Heights.
JoAnn’s gracious hospitality engaged guests at Ye Old Mushroom Farm where she
could be found nearly every night of the week, working the door. In 1980, JoAnn hit the
road, accepting a role as Lead Trip Director for Taylored Meetings, running incentive
trips globally. She made life-long friends there whom she treasured.
JoAnn had a dry and affectionate sense of humor and she and Marvin’s home on
Beverly Avenue was the social heartbeat of Spring Lake Heights. “The Crazy Eights”
was a couples’ night out “club” of sorts they founded. One of the club’s most memorable
nights involved taking their friends on a one-way trip to a remote location with zero
access to money, and whomever found their way home first, “won.”
JoAnn’s greatest accomplishment was her family, whom she loved deeply and
protected fiercely. She was the central figure in our lives, and she doted on us
continually. She was predeceased by her husband, Marvin and her sons, Larry, Jon and
David. She is survived by her son, Jeff, her grandchildren, Bianca, Jessica (Scott),
Alicia (Brian), Katelyn, Andrew and Matthew, her great-grandchildren, Ezra, Elijah,
Audrey, Ruby, Claire, Gemma and Emily, her great-great-grandchild, Aiden, to whom
she is “Nana,” her daughters-in-law, Louise, Gemma and Grace, to whom she is “Mom,”
her niece, Robin and nephew, Stephen.
“Nothing stays the same” was a phrase JoAnn repeated during her long life. Those who
truly knew JoAnn interpreted her message: the path to happiness is letting every
situation be what it is, instead of what you think it should be. She lived every day of her
life by that mantra.
Memorial contributions in JoAnn’s honor may be made to CASA for Children of
Monmouth County. The family would like to thank Jack O’Toole for the loving care he
provided over the past month.
