Mary Joan Dingbaum

Mary Joan (Maryjo) Dingbaum, 84, of St. Augustine, Florida, passed away on March 25, 2026. In her final years, she faced the quiet and difficult journey of dementia and Alzheimer's disease with the same dignity that marked her whole life.

Maryjo was the fourth of six children born to Henry "Hank" Dingbaum and Lucinda (Hagemann) Dingbaum. She was born December 24, 1941, in Petersburg, Iowa.

After graduating from Greeley (Iowa) Consolidated High School and the University of Northern Iowa, she taught elementary school in Eagle Grove and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a lifelong learner, Maryjo went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in education and numerous other post-graduate certifications. In 1968 she joined the Department of Defense Dependent School System as an elementary teacher. Her first overseas posting was in Goose Bay, Labrador, followed by assignments in Germany, Turkey Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Belgium. Maryjo travelled extensively during the 42 years she worked overseas, visiting more than 50 countries. She was always ready for a new adventure: she enjoyed cooking the local cuisine where she was stationed, rode a motorcycle through parts of Asia, went canoeing, rode zip lines, and collected antiques and other souvenirs on her travels. She was a voracious reader with over 1,000 books in her library, including numerous cookbooks. She had many stories about her travels and was always ready for a new adventure. She left us with many moments we will forever remember.

After retiring from teaching, Maryjo settled in St. Augustine, Florida where she volunteered with St. Anastasia Catholic Church. She was a woman of deep Catholic faith, which grounded her through every season of life and gave her a peace that those who knew her could always feel.

Maryjo is survived by her brothers William Dingbaum of Cedar Falls, Iowa and Stephen Dingbaum of Annandale, Virginia; sisters Margaret Fischer of Needham, Massachusetts and Phyllis Felderman of Messa, Arizona; and a large extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother John Henry Dingbaum.

Memorial donations in memory of Maryjo may be made to Alzheimer's Association.