Joan “Joni” P. Chizmar, 80, of New Port Richey, Florida, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones and compassionately cared for by Gulfside Hospice.

She was born on February 27, 1946, in Youngstown, Ohio, to John and Katherine D’Angelo. Joni grew up in Struthers, Ohio, and received a Catholic education, graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School, where, at just 15 years old, she met Tony. She was a Struthers girl, he was a South Side boy, and together they would build a life spanning more than five decades.

Joni continued her Catholic education at St. Elizabeth School of Nursing and became a registered nurse. During those years, her friendship with Tony grew into a lasting relationship. On April 6, 1968, they eloped in Norfolk, Virginia, where Tony was stationed with the United States Navy. They went on to have three children and later moved their family to New Port Richey, Florida, for greater opportunities.

Joni devoted 40 years to nursing, working primarily the night shift in intensive care as a charge nurse. Nursing was more than a profession to Joni; it was a calling, and those who worked with her knew her as a gifted nurse who was truly born to care for others. She spent many years at Community Hospital in New Port Richey, ultimately serving as a hospital-wide nursing supervisor for the final five years of her career.

For more than three decades, Joni and Tony made their New Port Richey home a gathering place for family and friends. To them, it represented the life they had worked so hard to build, and Joni took great joy in sharing it with the people she loved. It was more than simply a house; it was the heart of the life she and Tony built together.

She was proud of her Italian heritage, especially the food and family traditions that came with it. Joni also loved to travel, with journeys throughout the United States and Europe, including England to visit two of her grandchildren.

Joni loved being “Grammy”. She was silly, fun, generous, a little wild, and sometimes a little naughty in the funniest way. She was the kind of Grammy who made memories and kept everyone laughing. She was “Grammy” to all her grandchildren except Max, whom she secretly taught as a little boy to call her “Gaga” because of her love for Lady Gaga.

Joni also had a lifelong love affair with chocolate, one that lasted right through her final days, when multiple bowls of chocolate ice cream and plenty of chocolate bars were still very much part of the menu.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Anthony J. Chizmar Sr., and her sister, Katherine Pope. Joni is survived by her three children: Anthony J. Chizmar Jr. and his wife, Nicolette; Amanda Brooks; and Skye Chizmar; her grandchildren, Hayley Chizmar, Jesse Chizmar (Laura), Noah Brooks (Victoria), Veronica Brooks (Tyler), Jessie Brooks, and Maximus Momirov; her great-granddaughter, Delilah Brooks, with another great-granddaughter on the way; her siblings, John D’Angelo and Laura D’Angelo; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with presentation by Nurse Honor Guard of Tampa Bay at 6pm. Dobies Funeral Home, 8825 Old County Road 54, New Port Richey, Florida 34653.

Catholic Mass will be celebrated on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 8320 Old County Road 54, New Port Richey, Florida 34653. A luncheon will follow in the Parish Center an 12pm.