Obituary of Joan Theresa Warr

Joan Theresa Warr, 93, of Oakland, NJ, passed away peacefully in her home of 67 years on November 11, 2024, surrounded by family and loved ones.  Born in the Bronx, New York on February 20, 1931, to Ogden and Rachel Rahm.  Joan lived in the Bronx with her mother, Rachel Rahm until she met and married the love of her life, Edward Warr (d 2013) and moved to Oakland in 1957.  Joan is survived by her daughter Hilary of Dingmans Ferry, PA, daughter Melody of Mahwah, NJ, son Christopher (Myrna) of Oakland, NJ, nine grandchildren, fourteen great grandchildren, and one great great grandson.  She is predeceased by her beloved husband Edward, son Gregory, and brothers Francis and John Rahm.

Joan was a devout parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oakland, and served as a eucharistic minister alongside Edward for many years.  She very much loved to meet and pray with her Lay Carmelite community in Woodcliff Lake, NJ since 1980, and would spend hours on the phone every evening praying with her many friends.

After her father passed in 1952, she and her mother took a cruise ship to Ireland to visit family.  While she was there, she prayed that God would show her a sign to choose the right man to marry.  Several years later she met her future husband, and learned he too was in Ireland visiting during the exact same time, (it was in 1954).  That, she said, was the sign from God, and it was love at first sight.

Edward was building the house during his weekends and evenings when they married in ’57, and soon Joan filled that house with faith and love, four children, fresh fruits and vegetables grown in her garden, many pets and animals…she even convinced Edward to keep a herd of goats in the backyard.  She was very fond of her many gardens and spent her summers tending to them, then canning what we didn’t use for the winters.  She loved opera and classical music, which could always be heard playing in the background at the house.

She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother and the most beautiful soul by her friends and family and everyone whose life she touched.