Monjeau, Jo-Ann

ALBANY- Jo-Ann Monjeau, 65, of Albany died on April 27, 2022.

Jo-Ann was born in the Bronx, New York to Betty Jane (Muranyi) Horowitz and Israel M. Horowitz, both of whom predeceased her.

Jo-Ann received her bachelor of science in nursing in 1979, graduating first in the final class of the SUNY Albany School of Nursing. She was accepted to both SUNY medical schools (to get her mother off her back), but declined both and moved confidently into the nursing profession, which she loved.

Jo-Ann started her career on the neurosurgery unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and after a year returned to Albany, where she and Thomas Monjeau married on August 2nd, 1980. She supported her husband as he finished law school and then began a career in private practice and public service. In Albany, Jo-Ann began a 35 year career caring for veterans at the Stratton VA Hospital, first as a floor nurse and ultimately as a nursing supervisor. In 1982 she was given the Nurse of Hope award by Governor Hugh Carey. Jo-Ann felt privileged and honored to care for our veterans.

Jo-Ann took time off from her career to welcome her daughters, Caitlin and Julianna, into the world, then returned to nursing until her retirement in 2018. In retirement, she began a second career mastering Portuguese and traveling the world by way of her kitchen, trying new cuisines to the delight of her family. Her interests were many and varied, including Abbea, her dear cat; strawberry ice cream; crossword puzzles; long walks; classic films; and cozy mystery novels. Jo-Ann was a lifelong and long-suffering Mets fan, so let’s go Mets!

Jo-Ann is survived by her husband of 42 years, Thomas, and her beloved children Caitlin (Ben) and Julianna (Ed) and her brother Col. Gary M. Horowitz, MD, retired (Kari), as well as a niece and nephews, grand-pets, and many friends and colleagues.

Visitation will be held on Monday, May 2nd at the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home, Inc., 490 Delaware Avenue in Albany from 4:00 until 7:00 PM. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 3rd at St. Francis of Assisi, 391 Delaware Avenue in Albany at 9:00 AM. Jo-Ann’s family invites friends and colleagues to join them thereafter for a reception at a location to be announced. Although she loved flowers, those who wish to make charitable donations in her memory are encouraged to support the Stratton VA Fisher House, 113 Holland Ave., Albany, NY 12208 or Orange Street Cats, P.O. Box 10733, Albany, NY 12201. Her family is exceptionally grateful to the compassionate nursing staff at the neurological ICU at Albany Medical Center, who epitomized the kind of nursing Jo-Ann championed in her last days.