Joan Boscia

Joan Boscia (age 86)
February 26,1934 - December 31, 2020

Joan was born in Chicago. Her parents Angela (Romano) and John Boscia raised her with love to value family, Taylor-street Italian life, and the Catholic Church.

Joan graduated high school at age 16, and earned her Bachelor of Education from Chicago State University, and later her Master's Degree and PhD ED from Loyola University Chicago. As a teacher, Joan taught all elementary grades, before moving on to positions as assistant principal, counselor, and instructional coordinator. She was a devoted educator at Von Humboldt, Moos, and Reilly Elementary schools in Chicago until retiring in 1994
Joan was blessed with a fiery and forceful temperament, combined with a generous, selfless, and kind heart. She deeply and genuinely loved her children, grandchildren, family and friends, and was a gracious lady to all. Joan was a lousy cook and voracious reader, who loved to eat, dance, and laugh. She was a fiercely loyal friend, fluent in Italian hand gestures, adored mafia movies, invented road rage, and lived life like she drove her car - single minded and full speed ahead: you were welcome to hang on for dear life or get out of her way.

When she married her great love, Bob Rockafield, she realized the fondest dream of every full-blooded Italian woman - to marry a good man with a hearty appetite. They were soul mates and best friends, traveling the world together, hosting parties at their winter home in Florida and then coming home to Chicago for more parties on everyone's favorite enclosed back porch. When Bob became ill and incapacitated, Joan's pure love and steadfast devotion to him shone through in her tireless care of him.

With Joan's passing, we come to the end of a wonderful book, the closing of an era; a goodbye to the amazing, magical porch, the beautiful garden, big family dinners, the pinching of cheeks, the sunny smile, and an inner loving light that warmed all who knew her.

Children: Dan and Kitty Rockafield,
Grandchildren: Jonathan, Alex, Dana, Jules, Kai, Ava.
Great-grandchildren: Isabella, Amelia, Killian.
Niece and Nephew: Kathy Ruggels and John LaPierre
Brother-in law Herb Adams
And cousins, nephews and nieces galore, with bags and bags full of cherished friends.
A special thanks to our dear Myrna for her friendship and loving care of Joan.

"Did you eat?"

A link to a livestream of the funeral will be provided here on Monday, January 4 at 10:00 a.m.