Unfortunately it is with a heavy heart the Carthage Area Hospital Foundation has to say good-bye to a wonderful community member and true Philanthropist, JoAnn Lyn Zando. Life can certainly present brilliant and joyful people in our circle of friends and co-workers, and we were certainly blessed by having JoAnn as a Carthage Area Hospital Employee enriching our lives.
JoAnn L. Zando and her family established roots in the North Country moving to Carthage at the age of six years old. In 1965 she married the love of her life Gino Zando, and had two children Craig and Christopher. She was an intelligent woman with poise and grace earning an Associates of Science Degree in Accounting and Administration from Powelson Business Institute, Syracuse NY. JoAnn worked in our community at Champion International in Deferiet prior to helping establish the Carthage Area Hospital Foundation in 1995 until her unfortunate passing January 30, 2017. She truly was the Foundation “Cornerstone”, involved with every aspect of Foundation operations from the start! JoAnn worked tirelessly with a level of detail to ensure fundraising events, building Campaigns / improvements, and other administrative tasks were always taken care of to the benefit of our Hospital. Anyone that knew of the Foundation and its mission immediately could associate JoAnn’s name and personality being integrated with every aspect of bettering the Hospital and the Carthage Community. JoAnn was that person to put her heart and soul into everything she did for the Foundation. Quite simply she was kind, approachable, always willing to help out, and just made life better for those around her.
JoAnn was a community volunteer and was serving on her seventh term as a Deferiet Board of Trustee. She also served 15 years as a Board of Directors on the Miss New York State Scholarship Organization, and was an active member for over 20 years in the Carthage Area Hospital Auxiliary serving on multiple committees in the Hospital.
JoAnn continually talked of family and her love as a mother and grandmother to her three grandchildren Marco, Ava, and Lucas who all live in New Jersey. Our Carthage Area Hospital Family will certainly miss JoAnn Lyn Zando and know it’s a great loss for her family, the Foundation, and our community. We are going to honor her memory by creating one of our Foundation Healthcare Scholarships in her name, a great legacy to remember and carry forward!