Marie "Joanne" Treater Zoretich's Obituary
On November 6, 2022, Marie "Joanne" Zoretich was called home at the age of 89. Joanne was born in Monessen, PA, during the Great Depression to Bruce Treater and Dora Dewalt. She was fiery, funny, and above all loving--in her no-nonsense way. She overcame unbelievable hardships during her life, including multiple forms of cancer. Through it all, she kept an unshakable connection with God and an innate sense of what was right. During her life she raised a daughter, Victoria, and lost a son, Richard, shortly after his birth. She married Nicholas Zoretich after her first marriage ended.
She worked for approximately 70 years, starting at the local shoe store. In time she became a manager at Bell Telephone Company (now AT&T). During her time at Bell she blazed a trail and even saved a child's life. Before 911 existed, she talked the mother of a choking boy through the Heimlich maneuver. After retiring from AT&T with over 30 years of service, she created an entirely new career with The Container Store. She enjoyed helping customers find just what they needed. She was so good at it that she made the largest sale in Container Store history (still to this day) as well as assisted former First Lady Barbara Bush on multiple occasions. Joanne loved working and would have worked even longer had she not lost her eyesight a few years back.
She and Nick traveled North America extensively by motorhome. Joanne was enchanted with lighthouses and visited them often during her travels. She was so captivated by them that she decorated her entire house with a lighthouse theme. She also adored Cocker Spaniels, including her final one, Chesney, whom she adopted several years back. He was her constant companion, and she cherished his company. After Nick died, Joanne lived on her own up until her final day on Earth. This was only possible due to her angels, as she called them: a wonderful network of friends and cousins.
Joanne was preceded in death by her father, Bruce, her mother, Dora, her son, Richard, her sister, Patricia, and her husband, Nick. She is survived by her daughter, Victoria, her grandson, Brian, and her constant companion, Chesney.
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