Obituary of Joan D. Marks

Joan Dolores Riha Marks, 92, of Queens, New York, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2023. She was born on April 7, 1931, to the late Stanley and Helen Riha, and lived on the same block her entire life. She was a proud and loyal New Yorker who witnessed the city's transformation from horse and buggies to skyscrapers and subways. Joan was a devoted Roman Catholic who loved St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church, where she attended mass regularly and helped the nuns and priests across the street any chance she could. She and her daughter, Donna Rice, who preceded her in death in 2013, also attended St. Teresa School. Joan graduated high school from St. Michael's Academy in 1948. Joan firmly believed in education and promoted dedication to mastering studies to succeed at your pursuits. Joan was a hard-working and independent woman who was a typist for a bank, Data Entry Clerk for (IBM) International Business Machines Corporation, Associate Manager with Electronic Data Systems ( EDS), and an Executive Secretary for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Earning promotions with each job, she worked for over 40 years, retiring in 1996. She was a planner who never lived above her means and was proud to have lived and maintained her apartment that was rented by her parents in the 1930s Joan is survived by her three grandchildren, Melissa Rice, Peter Rice, and Jennifer Jones, and her three great-grandchildren William Jones, Molly Rose Rice, and George Jones. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends who will miss her dearly. A funeral mass will be held at St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church on December 29, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., followed by a burial at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church, St. Jude's Charity, or the American Cancer Society in Joan's memory.