Joan Marie Moore

Joan Marie (Pieri) Moore passed away June 21, 2024 at Heritage Senior Living, Hartland WI, her home for the last seven years. Joan was born April 1, 1928 in Milwaukee WI to Anthony and Irma (Nestler) Pieri. She grew up with her mother and step-father, her brother Richard, and her step-brothers Eugene Jr. and Richard Trester, along with her grandmother, Marie Nestler. Her father had died of pneumonia when she was four and her mother then married Eugene Trester.
Joan worked several secretarial jobs while in high school, including a position with Harley-Davidson Motor Co.
Joan, becoming better known as Toni, attended the UW-Madison to study psychology where she met Jack Moore of Rhinelander WI. They were married on June 18, 1949, and she dropped out of school to support him while he finished his degree in light building. Living briefly in Milwaukee, then Madison for two years, then Rhinelander for a year, then in Burlington for a year where their son Jeffrey was born, they finally settled back in Rhinelander where their daughter Susan and son David were born.
Toni was always very involved in her children's activities, running a Cub Scout den and a Camp Fire Girls group for them. Toni and Jack developed life-long friendships in Rhinelander and continued their deep friendships with their university friends. They enjoyed taking their children on camping trips during summers, seeing most of the lower 48 states this way. Toni and Jack loved experiencing the out-of-doors with their family, purchasing lake property just outside of Rhinelander, passing on a love of camping, hiking, and birds to their children.
In 1967 Jack's career change moved them to Wisconsin Rapids, WI, where they quickly became involved in the Congregational Church, joining the choir, even traveling with this choir to Germany. They became good friends with their neighbors, and Toni took on the leadership of a Girl Scout troop, and a secretarial position with the DNR. After 10 years with the DNR, she took a secretarial position with Chambers, Nash, Pierce and Podvin Attorneys at Law. She became very knowledgeable in the world of law (and red tape), working for them for 17 years.
Toni made friends wherever she went. She was friendly, approachable, level headed, diplomatic, and always interested in the people she was with. She opened their home to her adult children and their families, their friends, and their children's friends, even when her children were not present.
In 2017, six years after Jack passed, Toni moved to Heritage Senior Living in Hartland near her daughter Susan. She made friends quickly and was known as a warm, classy, knowledgeable, happy, interested woman, easy to love and be with.
Toni adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, among whom she was known as Omi. A visit from any of them was always the highlight of her week, and she stayed on top of all those birthdays and anniversaries throughout the years.
Toni is survived by her daughter Susan (Peter) Brandt, son David (Linda), daughter-in-law Carla, 11 grand-children and their spouses, 25 great-grandchildren, and one of her dearest friends of 80 years, Carol Ryan. She was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, her brother Richard, her two step-brothers, husband Jack, and son Jeffrey. Toni will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau WI, The Alliance Defending Freedom, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, or any other charity of your choosing.
A memorial service for Toni will be held Saturday, August 10, 2024 at Pagenkopf Funeral Home in Oconomowoc, WI. Visitation will be at 11:00 AM and the service at 12:00 PM, with lunch immediately following.