Obituary of Joann E. Vander Hout

Joann Ella Vander Hout was a loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She passed away peacefully on March 3rd at the age of 83 surrounded by her family. She was born on July 31, 1939, in Milwaukee, the daughter of Harry and Ruth Vander Hout. She was preceded in death by her sister Diane Longshore and is survived by her brother James Vander Hout, son William Haffner (Tracy), and daughter Heidi Barta (Dave). Joann was a loving mother and raised her children in Milwaukee, and eventually Kenwood where they attended Indian Hill High School. Joann loved to attend their band concerts and was a very active volunteer with the school’s music program and particularly the marching band. Joann enjoyed traveling and thanks to the generosity of her father, was able to do so extensively with her family, parents and siblings along with their families. Although she traveled to many exotic locations, her favorite trips were during the summers on Cape Cod spending afternoons at Nauset beach. Joann was a devoted and fun-loving grandmother who cherished time with her five grandchildren: Jackson, Riley and Rowan Haffner and Kate and Tom Barta. She was always enthusiastic to lend a hand and would play endlessly with them, inventing new games to play with them and reading stories. She made the best gingerbread cookies each Christmas - her favorite holiday to spend with her family. Her laugh was contagious, and she always had a smile for everyone. Every time she flew to visit family and friends, she would make a new friend on the plane. The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Joann. She enjoyed a quiet lunch with a friend, a long phone call with her family and friends, and going to her church. Family was everything to her and she felt fortunate to have her daughter and family close by and to have holiday visits from her son and family. She was a wonderful storyteller and loved to recount stories from growing up in Milwaukee across the street from her beloved grandmother. Please join us to celebrate her life on Wednesday March 8th at 11:00am at Ascension Lutheran Church - 7333 Pfeiffer Road, Cincinnati, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.