Joanna Newton Conaway, loved to cook, entertain
Joanna Newton Conaway, 86, passed away peacefully in her home June 21, 2018. It has taken us awhile to write her tribute. We didn’t seem to be able to find words adequate to describe her.
Joanna was born in Bridgeville Sept. 2, 1931. Following her graduation from Bridgeville High School, she attended the University of Delaware, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education. While at the university, she married William “Bob” Conaway, who she was married to for 59 years. After a brief time in New Jersey, Joanna and Bob returned to Bridgeville. Joanna taught elementary school for a few years before starting her family. Once she became a mother to Kevin and Guy, this became her full-time job, along with helping her husband run the family business. She and Bob moved to Ocean View after retirement.
Joanna loved to cook and entertain in her home. Her table was always open and she hosted many impromptu dinners for friends throughout the years. Joanna had a huge heart and cherished her family and friends. Next to spending time with her family, one of her greatest joys was lending a helping hand, and she provided care and comfort to many over the years. She enjoyed reading and golfing, and also volunteered at the Bridgeville Library and in the Nanticoke Memorial Hospital gift shop. She was always on the go, and Bob used to say she was out getting her “daily dose of carbon monoxide.”
Later in life, one of Joanna’s favorite activities was eating out, whether at a friend’s home, or restaurant. She rarely turned down an invitation because as she liked to say, she “didn’t want to miss anything!” She had a fantastic sense of humor and could tell the best stories, making you laugh out loud at her rendition of the event. She was also an active board member of her family business, O. A. Newton & Sons, until her death.
Joanna is survived by her son Guy Conaway and his wife Marybeth; her grandsons: Drew and Josh; her daughter-in-law, Lisa Conaway; her sister-in-law, Charlotte Conaway; her constant companion, Bitty Buddy; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Warren C. Newton; her mother, Elizabeth Newton; her husband, William Conaway; her son, Kevin Conaway; and her sisters, Jane Rider and Betty McSpaden.
In accordance with her wishes, a celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.
Arrangements by Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Clarksville Chapel, Ocean View.
Please visit Mrs. Conaway's Life Memorial Webpage and sign her online guestbook at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.
