Joan Mae Repici

Joan Mae Cowan Repici, RN, 81, of Cape May Court House, peacefully passed away on February 12, 2021 surrounded by family after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Joan (born 08/04/1939) was the oldest child of 13 born to David and Violet (Ellison) Cowan of South Seaville, NJ. Joan was a lifelong resident of Cape May County, NJ. She was an honors graduate of Middle Township High School, attended Fitzgerald Mercy School of Nursing, and began her career as charge nurse at Mercy Hospital in Sea Isle City. Throughout her life she wore many more hats than her nursing cap, Joan worked on her family farm and delivered milk, cleaned & worked at Mercy Hospital during high school, managed her family's real estate and service businesses, and she owned and operated the Hyland Motor Inn while raising her family. She received her real estate license from Glassboro State College & Rutgers University. She hired & trained hundreds of CHHA's & LPNS during her 15 years with Bayada Home Health Agency. Her students who knew her as ‘Ms Joan’ went on to care for 1000s of local home care patients, including those who would end up treating Joan during her hospice journey. Joan was an incredibly involved parish & community member and was in constant service to those around her. She taught horticulture at local schools, led 4H & Girl Scout troops, and volunteered at Health Department Flu Drives, Volunteers in Medicine, the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, and the Kiwanis Club. Her faith as a Roman Catholic was of particular importance during her entire life. She worked & volunteered in many local parishes during her life. In addition to being a member of Our Lady Of The Angels parish, she was an Eucharistic Minister, taught Adult Religious Education, and organized the RENEW program for parishioners struggling with their faith. As a child & young woman, Joan was a member of the Cape May County Riding Club & Bugle Corp and was an often blue ribbon winner at local riding competitions. At 11, she performed on the Wildwood Beach for 15k people during the premiere of ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ and won 1st prize as Annie Oakley. She remained an avid sportswoman throughout her whole life. Her hobbies included playing piano, birding (& banding Sparrow Hawks), needlepoint, crocheting, dinners with her lifelong friends the ‘Dinnerbells’, and hosting many memorable family parties. She also loved traveling and made special trips to US lighthouses, as a chaperone with The Young Cape Singers & MTHS’s England Exchange, and to religious sites worldwide. Joan found her life’s greatest joy being with her family and for the last 31 years her passion was spending time involved in the lives of her 5 grandchildren. She is predeceased by her parents and siblings Harry, Raymond, Nancy, Jimmy, Judy and Michael. Joan is survived by her siblings Dave, Cathy (Ole), Libby (Michael), Mabel, Mary, and Theresa. Joan is also survived by her children Susan Hinchey (Brian) and Thomas Repici (Holly), grandchildren Kathryn Hinchey-Wise (Celeste), Tyler Repici (Michaela), Michael Hinchey (Minjeong), Derry Hinchey, Emily Repici, and 1 great grandchild, Elliana Mae. A Celebration of Life will be held at Radzieta Funeral Home, 9 Hand Avenue, Cape May Court House on August 22, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be private at St Elizabeth's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Goshen, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hurrikanen’s Kids (www.hurrikanenskids.com) or Volunteers In Medicine of South Jersey (www.vimsj.org).