Obituary for Joanne J. Canciellere Quintieri Fratz
Joanne Joyce Cancelliere Quintieri Fratz, most precious wife of Charles Hartley Fratz, passed away on 12/4/22 peacefully after spending more than a decade fighting debilitating health conditions that slowly took its toll on her enduring strength. In her final days she was surrounded by those that loved her deeply and by thoughts, prayers, and well wishes from all over.
Born December 18th, 1948 in Philadelphia, PA to a proud Italian family: her father Giuseppe Quintieri (Joe, 1910-1981) and mother Angelina Cancelliere Quintieri (1913-1992). Joanne grew up in Philadelphia, PA with her older sister Dolores J. Q. Daly (1934-2019) in the humble Quintieri household. She attended and graduated from St. Hubert’s High, and Joanne would grow up learning Italian culture and pride in her family's past, as well as having a strong work ethic instilled at an early age from her parents and role model sister. Her mother and sister in particular gave her an incredible passion for baking and cooking.
As Joanne came of age she found herself working as a Bookkeeper for Frankford Bank. It was working there that she caught the fateful eye of her eventual life partner Charles Hartley Fratz. After a meaningful courtship, Charles and Joanne wed at 11am on November 11th 1972: the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month. Charles has joked throughout their entire marriage that 11/11 being Armistice Day for World War 1, the entire world held a moment of silence for them on their wedding day.
Joanne spent many years as Charles' partner supporting his career aspirations as he worked his way up the banking management ladder. Lovingly Joanne made and kept a home that they would both be proud to call their own. It would be 7 or so years later that they would welcome their first son Charles Joseph Fratz into the world on 9/7/1980. It would be another 5 years before marital bliss struck again and brought them their second son Christopher Hartley Fratz born 10/24/1985. And with twice striking perfection, Joanne decided two sons was enough. In between the expansion of the family, Joanne spent some years between 1981 and 1986 as a partner of “Joannaemae Vending” and President of a pool operations and concessions company that serviced Neshaminy State Park and it’s public pool.
In 1989, Charles and Joanne relocated to the suburbs of Philadelphia, in Warrington, PA. It was in Warrington that Joanne found a house she "had to have" even if it meant accepting some unfinished features and sacrificing weekends of Charles’ life on maintenance and upkeep. The house would turn into Joanne's forever home as Joanne continued to support Charles and keep an immaculate family environment to raise her boys and make memories. During her 33 years situated on Palomino Drive Joanne cared for 3 poodles, 2 kids, 4 grandkids, year after year of hosted holiday dinners, shared laughs, drinks, merriment, and experiences over her adult life with Charles and family by her side.
Sometime around 1998 Joanne would find the strength to return to work when tragedy struck her husband's career and she found herself spending several years working for the Salvation Army as Office Manager and Bookkeeper for the North East Philadelphia Corps. Her selflessness helped keep the family financially viable. Joanne proved to any casual observer that she still had her ability to be a great employee capable of almost anything in the workplace, let alone continuing to be a great sister, aunt, wife, and mother. Over her adult life Joanne raised and help graduate two sons from High School, encourage them to take on professional paths of their own, meet women that would pass her test for "deserving", become husbands and fathers themselves, and be an incredibly proud and present grandparent to four grandkids: Charlie Mark Fratz (9), Carter Ellis Fratz (5), Peyton Emerson Fratz (6), and Corrie Hartley Fratz (3).
In 2009, Joanne suffered a terrible medical event. What started as a viral infection that was treated with antibiotics turned systemic. The doctors at Doylestown Hospital - which she ended up frequenting in the last 13 years of her life - could not figure out what was going on. A consulting physician from Temple discovered that her heart valves became compromised with infection and she needed them replaced. A short 14 minute helicopter ride and emergency open heart surgery later, she would have two new heart valves. Unfortunately she was not out of the woods yet. After some poor healthcare based outcomes and issues surrounding additional deadly infections of MRSA, she came out of Temple without a sternum to hold her chest together, missing fingers and toes from medically caused necrosis, and having suffered numerous other unknown complications. Charles remembers that Joanne coded at Temple three times during her elongated five month stay. After a miraculous recovery, she was tasked with rehabilitating and relearning many activities of daily living. While her early turnaround was promising, her family knew that her body would never be the same, that she would never be truly healthy again, and that with replacement heart valves, Joanne’s health was on borrowed time. Joanne was continually supported by her immediate family and through additional support and aid from her niece Lisa Ann Daly survived many pitfalls and concerns with her ongoing care plan while at Temple and throughout the rest of her life. 13 years and many many trips to the hospital and nearby rehab facilities later, the stubborn and hard headed Italian from humble beginnings in Philadelphia, PA, finally needed to give her mind and body a much needed rest.
Joanne, who lived a full and beautiful life, closed her eyes for the final time just shy of her 74th birthday and Christmas season which she loved so dearly. She loved December (because it contained both her birthday and Christmas), joking that her Christmas tree should be decorated year round, Cherished Teddies™ , the voice of esteemed Broadway Tenor Michael Crawford or 70’s heartthrob and pop sensation Engelbert Humperdink, and most of all the friends and family she grew up and got old with over her years. She may have left us, but cannot be easily forgotten by those she touched and continues to live on through those who survive her.
Charles Hartley Fratz, amazing Caregiver, Friend, Husband, Father, and Grandfather.
Gerard J. Daly, Brother In Law and Husband to her Sister Dolores.
Lisa A Daly, Niece and Daughter of her sister Dolores.
Charles Joseph Fratz, first born and wildly empathetic Son.
Cassandra M. Fratz, Daughter In Law, Mother to her Grandsons.
Charlie M. Fratz, Grandson.
Carter E. Fratz, Grandson.
Christopher Hartley Fratz, second born and family's Poet Laureate.
Deniece A. Fratz, Daughter in Law, Mother to her Granddaughters.
Peyton E. Fratz, Granddaughter.
Corrie H. Fratz, Granddaughter.
Carol Moscar, Sister in Law and Charles' favorite Sister.
Rose Fratz, Sister In Law.
Robert Fratz, Nephew and Son of Rose Fratz.
Richard Fratz, Nephew and Son of Doris Simon Fratz.
Born December 18th, 1948 in Philadelphia, PA to a proud Italian family: her father Giuseppe Quintieri (Joe, 1910-1981) and mother Angelina Cancelliere Quintieri (1913-1992). Joanne grew up in Philadelphia, PA with her older sister Dolores J. Q. Daly (1934-2019) in the humble Quintieri household. She attended and graduated from St. Hubert’s High, and Joanne would grow up learning Italian culture and pride in her family's past, as well as having a strong work ethic instilled at an early age from her parents and role model sister. Her mother and sister in particular gave her an incredible passion for baking and cooking.
As Joanne came of age she found herself working as a Bookkeeper for Frankford Bank. It was working there that she caught the fateful eye of her eventual life partner Charles Hartley Fratz. After a meaningful courtship, Charles and Joanne wed at 11am on November 11th 1972: the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month. Charles has joked throughout their entire marriage that 11/11 being Armistice Day for World War 1, the entire world held a moment of silence for them on their wedding day.
Joanne spent many years as Charles' partner supporting his career aspirations as he worked his way up the banking management ladder. Lovingly Joanne made and kept a home that they would both be proud to call their own. It would be 7 or so years later that they would welcome their first son Charles Joseph Fratz into the world on 9/7/1980. It would be another 5 years before marital bliss struck again and brought them their second son Christopher Hartley Fratz born 10/24/1985. And with twice striking perfection, Joanne decided two sons was enough. In between the expansion of the family, Joanne spent some years between 1981 and 1986 as a partner of “Joannaemae Vending” and President of a pool operations and concessions company that serviced Neshaminy State Park and it’s public pool.
In 1989, Charles and Joanne relocated to the suburbs of Philadelphia, in Warrington, PA. It was in Warrington that Joanne found a house she "had to have" even if it meant accepting some unfinished features and sacrificing weekends of Charles’ life on maintenance and upkeep. The house would turn into Joanne's forever home as Joanne continued to support Charles and keep an immaculate family environment to raise her boys and make memories. During her 33 years situated on Palomino Drive Joanne cared for 3 poodles, 2 kids, 4 grandkids, year after year of hosted holiday dinners, shared laughs, drinks, merriment, and experiences over her adult life with Charles and family by her side.
Sometime around 1998 Joanne would find the strength to return to work when tragedy struck her husband's career and she found herself spending several years working for the Salvation Army as Office Manager and Bookkeeper for the North East Philadelphia Corps. Her selflessness helped keep the family financially viable. Joanne proved to any casual observer that she still had her ability to be a great employee capable of almost anything in the workplace, let alone continuing to be a great sister, aunt, wife, and mother. Over her adult life Joanne raised and help graduate two sons from High School, encourage them to take on professional paths of their own, meet women that would pass her test for "deserving", become husbands and fathers themselves, and be an incredibly proud and present grandparent to four grandkids: Charlie Mark Fratz (9), Carter Ellis Fratz (5), Peyton Emerson Fratz (6), and Corrie Hartley Fratz (3).
In 2009, Joanne suffered a terrible medical event. What started as a viral infection that was treated with antibiotics turned systemic. The doctors at Doylestown Hospital - which she ended up frequenting in the last 13 years of her life - could not figure out what was going on. A consulting physician from Temple discovered that her heart valves became compromised with infection and she needed them replaced. A short 14 minute helicopter ride and emergency open heart surgery later, she would have two new heart valves. Unfortunately she was not out of the woods yet. After some poor healthcare based outcomes and issues surrounding additional deadly infections of MRSA, she came out of Temple without a sternum to hold her chest together, missing fingers and toes from medically caused necrosis, and having suffered numerous other unknown complications. Charles remembers that Joanne coded at Temple three times during her elongated five month stay. After a miraculous recovery, she was tasked with rehabilitating and relearning many activities of daily living. While her early turnaround was promising, her family knew that her body would never be the same, that she would never be truly healthy again, and that with replacement heart valves, Joanne’s health was on borrowed time. Joanne was continually supported by her immediate family and through additional support and aid from her niece Lisa Ann Daly survived many pitfalls and concerns with her ongoing care plan while at Temple and throughout the rest of her life. 13 years and many many trips to the hospital and nearby rehab facilities later, the stubborn and hard headed Italian from humble beginnings in Philadelphia, PA, finally needed to give her mind and body a much needed rest.
Joanne, who lived a full and beautiful life, closed her eyes for the final time just shy of her 74th birthday and Christmas season which she loved so dearly. She loved December (because it contained both her birthday and Christmas), joking that her Christmas tree should be decorated year round, Cherished Teddies™ , the voice of esteemed Broadway Tenor Michael Crawford or 70’s heartthrob and pop sensation Engelbert Humperdink, and most of all the friends and family she grew up and got old with over her years. She may have left us, but cannot be easily forgotten by those she touched and continues to live on through those who survive her.
Charles Hartley Fratz, amazing Caregiver, Friend, Husband, Father, and Grandfather.
Gerard J. Daly, Brother In Law and Husband to her Sister Dolores.
Lisa A Daly, Niece and Daughter of her sister Dolores.
Charles Joseph Fratz, first born and wildly empathetic Son.
Cassandra M. Fratz, Daughter In Law, Mother to her Grandsons.
Charlie M. Fratz, Grandson.
Carter E. Fratz, Grandson.
Christopher Hartley Fratz, second born and family's Poet Laureate.
Deniece A. Fratz, Daughter in Law, Mother to her Granddaughters.
Peyton E. Fratz, Granddaughter.
Corrie H. Fratz, Granddaughter.
Carol Moscar, Sister in Law and Charles' favorite Sister.
Rose Fratz, Sister In Law.
Robert Fratz, Nephew and Son of Rose Fratz.
Richard Fratz, Nephew and Son of Doris Simon Fratz.