Joni Gruelle (Keating) Wannamaker

Joni Gruelle (Keating) Wannamaker, 82, of Rome, Georgia, passed away peacefully at The Spires at Berry College on May 11, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Wannamaker of Arcola, Illinois, and her daughter, Kelly Keating of Waterbury, Connecticut.

Born in New Milford, Connecticut, to the late Worth Gruelle and the late Suzanne Ciecklinski Gruelle of Rockledge, Florida, Joni was raised in Coral Gables, Florida. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1982.

Joni was the granddaughter of Johnny Gruelle, the beloved creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy, and in 1998, she honored his legacy by co-founding the Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum in Arcola, Illinois, alongside her husband Tom.

Throughout her life, Joni touched thousands with her creativity, compassion, and unshakable sense of wonder. She was a beautiful soul - magnificently creative, profoundly intuitive, and fiercely dedicated to the people, pets, and ideas she loved.

If you had met Joni, she would have smiled her warm, radiant smile at you - one that could light up a room - and said something kind and thoughtful. That’s who she was: someone who made the world brighter simply by being herself.

Joni is survived by her daughter, Megan Keating of Rome, GA; her son, Shane Keating of Arcola, IL; her first husband, Michael Keating of Rome, GA; her brother, Kim Gruelle of Misty Ridge, NC; three grandchildren, Chelsea Bruey of New Milford, CT, Grayson Keating of Sapphire, NC, and John Hamilton of New Milford, CT; stepdaughter, Ellen Gann of Cleveland, GA; step-granddaughters, Corinne Forrester and Lilly Gann; three great-grandchildren, Kayden, Kenzie, and Kennedy Rose; and four beloved cats—Rochester, Urbana, Corpsman, and Shadow—as well as many extended family members, friends, and admirers around the world.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date for family and close friends.

Joni’s ashes will be laid to rest in Arcola, IL, with Tom, and in Connecticut in the Keating family plot.

Joni loved all animals, especially penguins. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her memory to the Global Penguin Society at www.globalpenguinsociety.org.