JoAnna Milto

JoAnna Milto, 70, passed away on May 07, 2025, at the LifeCare Hospice Center in Wilmington, North Carolina.
JoAnna spent over 30 years in the healthcare field as an occupational therapist and healthcare consultant. Her career grew from helping individual patients to supporting and leading nursing facilities in their quest to maintain medical licensure. Joanna advocated for Medicare rule changes to provide better care for patients, and was also active in getting Physician Assistants accepted and recognized by insurance companies.
In her early 20s, Joanna was an art major at University of Illinois Chicago, where she created ceramic vessels and sculptures, and later used watercolors to create beautiful, unique, and intricate paintings.
While Jo Anna was blessed with a rewarding career, her biggest achievements & greatest blessings in her life were: being loved by Bruce for 53 years, the privilege of getting married to the love of her life, TWICE; being a phenomenal mother to David & Nicholas; being the crazy & fun aunt to Melissa & Shannon; an adoring great aunt to Anthony & Grace; and last but not least, the dream of becoming a grandma to two beautiful granddaughters; Harper & Holly!
Jo Anna grew up with her twin brother Phillip and as a little sister to Tony & Cindy.
Jo Anna was a special person who gave and received unconditional love. She enjoyed and appreciated the precious gift of life and was a fierce advocate for those she felt were being taken advantage of.
She was preceded in death by her parents Samuel J. and Vivian I. Milto; her brothers, Anthony M. and Philip R. Milto; and her sister, Cynthia D. Milto.
Survivors include her sons, David A. Hayes and Nicholas J. Hayes, her two grandchildren by Nicholas and Elaine Berman, Harper Berman-Hayes. and Holly Berman-Hayes; her nieces, Melissa A. Dyer, (Donald); and Shannon M. Dugan; her great nephew, Anthony M. Dyer, (Ashley) and her great niece, Grace Dyer.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate JoAnna's Life from 11am to 1pm on May 31st at G.H. Hermann Funeral Home, 5141 Madison Ave. Indianapolis. The cemetery internment will be at 1:30 pm at St Joseph's Cemetery 2446 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, followed by an informal gathering at Shapiro's Delicatessen, 808 S. Median St, Indianapolis.
Please visit: www.ghherrmann.com to share online condolences with the family and view the tribute of Jo Anna's life.
Friends of Joanna and Bruce can gather at their home (7106 Cocker CT, Wilmington, 28411) on June 7th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm to toast and remember Joanna.
Wilmington Funeral & Cremation, Wilmington, NC, is handling local arrangements. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of JoAnna, please visit our floral store.