Jo Ann Malacarne

Jo Ann Malacarne (nee Froese), 88, of Tunnel Hill, Illinois passed away Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Deaconess Illinois Medical Center in Marion, Illinois.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, June 15, 2025, at 12:00 PM at Blue Funeral Home in Goreville, Illinois. Visitation will be held from 11:00-12:00 PM. Burial will be in Bethlehem Gospel Mission Church Cemetery in Tunnell Hill, Illinois.

Jo Ann was born April 9, 1937, in Belleville, Illinois to Arthur Froese and Gladys (Ross) Froese. She married Gilbert Malacarne on June 3, 1970, in Belleville, Illinois.

Survivors include children, Alton Sanders (Grace) of Gilbert, Arizona and Douglas Sanders (Sandy) of Swansea, Illinois; grandchildren, Brandy Sola, Thaddeus Roush, Olivia Cugier, Brennan Sanders, Kate Schmid, Clayton Sanders, and Daisy Jasmine; and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gilbert Malacarne, her parents, Arthur and Gladys Froese, her brother Arthur Froese Junior, her sister Nancy (Froese) Winning, and her stepdaughter Dawn (Malacarne) Roush (Pat).

Jo Ann was a faithful member of Bethlehem Gospel Mission Church, a longtime member of the Lake of Egypt Property Owners Association, and an officer of Robinwoods third addition. She was retired from a 25-year career as a senior manager at AT&T and Southwestern Bell Telephone Company where she pioneered several advancements in directory assistance service and technology. She loved her home at the Lake of Egypt which she and Gilbert bought as a vacant lot 50 years ago and built and improved upon over the years. Their home was a gathering spot for family and friends for vacations and holidays right up until the end. Jo Ann’s family extends their gratitude to her dear friends and neighbors who gave her so much support and comfort in her final years, especially Leroy Phaltzgraff and Leya Chandler.