JOAN ERCOLE

JOAN ERCOLE Joan Slywka Ercole, 79, of Las Vegas, passed away Sunday, April 14, 2013. She was born Sept. 9, 1933, in Chicago, and was a resident of Las Vegas for 37 years. Joan was retired from the Clark County School District, where she worked in various capacities for over 20 years, including as accountant and school banker for Las Vegas High School. She was a devoted and wonderful wife, mother, daughter, aunt and friend. She was passionate about spending time with her family and became an excellent italian cook, learning from her mother and sister- in-law. In her younger years, she was known as "Joan Stevens," a singer with an all-girl orchestra in Chicago. Prior to marrying Joseph in 1958, she worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. As a young mom, she worked at Goldblatts Department Store, where she often took the girls to work. She loved to have fun, tell jokes and was always the life of the party. In her later years, she enjoyed playing video poker at the El Cortez and Cannery in Las Vegas, and the Atlantic Club in Atlantic City, N.J., where she used to spend her summers close to family. Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph L. Ercole; her parents, John and Justine Slywka; her in-laws, Ludovico and Filomena Ercole; her brothers, John Slywka Jr. and Andrew Slywka; her sisters, Eugenia (Joseph) Nieminski and Olga (John) Walker; and her niece, Arlene Dell'Aringa. She is survived by her daughters, Tina and husband, Congressman Frank LoBiondo of Ventnor, N.J., and Janine and Frank Ricci of Texas; sister-in- law, Carmen (Tafoya) Slywka; nieces, Catherine (Bryan) Davis and Jacqueline (Edward) Gussin; nephews, John Slywka III and Jeffrey (Tammy) Slywka; nieces, Christine (Edward) Landers, Amelia (Eugene) Rudin, Annette Doelker, Anita Dorneker, Andrea (Anthony) Aiello and Autumn Nieminski; and 23 grandnieces and grandnephews, whom she loved very much. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m., Friday, April 26, at Palm Mortuary, 7600 S. Eastern Ave. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at Shrine of The Most Holy Redeemer, 55 E. Reno Ave. Burial following at Palm Valley View Memorial Park. Life celebration luncheon to follow. Donations may be made to Every Breath Counts Lung Cancer Foundation, www.everybreathcounts.net/ or to Gilda's Club, South Jersey, gildasclubsouthjersey.org/