Joanie was born February 23, 1956 at Mills Hospital in San Mateo, California.  She was the youngest of five children to Lillian and Harry Ishida.  She was predeceased by her father in 1981, her mother in 2012 and her husband, Randy, in 2008.  She is survived by her daughter, Allison, siblings, Howard (Rosalie), Jerry, Diane, and Doris (Frank), her niece Kimberly (Barry), nephews Jeffrey (Caitlin) and Ryan, and her great nieces and nephew Kalina, Autumn, and Ryland.

Growing up as the youngest of five, she always had her father wrapped around her little finger.  She attended the local San Mateo schools including San Mateo High School.  While at San Mateo High, she was a member of marching band and participated in the second inaugural parade of Richard Nixon.

It was at San Mateo High School where she and Randy began dating when they were both 16.  They finally got married in 1985 after 13 years of courtship.  In 1988 her daughter Allie was born.  Joanie was always a devoted mother to her dogs and Allie.

She graduated from College of San Mateo with an AA degree in Liberal Arts, where her major of study was Dental Assisting.  However, she found that her niche was in management.  Out of college she started her full-time work at Curly Bates in 1976.  She moved to Fila Sports in 1981, where she was the operations manager until it moved back East.  She took time off to raise Allie, and then began work at Artisan Embroidery.

When she wasn’t working, she enjoyed vacationing in Maui.  She and Randy introduced the rest of the family to their favorite restaurant, Roy’s, where they now enjoy visiting whenever they can get to one.  She was a dog lover all her life, always having one by her side.  She also loved to sew clothes and Halloween costumes, always coming up with wild ideas for what Allie could be, and they had to be perfect.  She liked the occasional slot machine, the noisier the better.