JoAnne P Ray

JoAnne Patricia Ray passed away on August 5, 2025, at the age of 82, surrounded by her children. She was born on April 9, 1943, to Charles Edward Ray and Mary Jane Casaccio Ray in Woodbury, New Jersey. She spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Thorofare, NJ, filling various roles—most notably as a lifeguard—at Raynbow Lake, a small resort built and operated by her father. JoAnne graduated from the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, a prominent college-preparatory school for girls, where she was a spirited cheerleader—a role she continued during her college years. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts at Rutgers University, Camden, and, years later, a Master of Arts at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). A passionate educator, she taught various K–12 grades, though third grade was her favorite. In the 1960s, JoAnne became an efficiency analyst in Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's "Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System" for President Lyndon Johnson. In that role, she uncovered an office of 100 federal government workers who had spent a year with no work assignment because both the administrator and their supervisor had left government service and were never replaced. After the birth of her first child, JoAnne shifted her focus to raising her family while also managing a small business of family-owned apartment buildings and rental homes in the 1980s. She took great pride in her diverse skills—spackling, painting, and handling much of the maintenance herself—while keeping the business running smoothly with her affinity for accounting. Above all, she lived for her family. JoAnne is survived by her son, Braddock Craig Gaskill (b. 1976), and his son, James Steele Gaskill (b. 2012); her daughter, Rena Elizabeth Gaskill (b. 1979), and her three children, Tayden Bradley Bull (b. 2017), Giovannina (GiaBella) Elizabella Bull (b. 2018), and Landon Bull (b. 2020). She took immense joy in watching her children and grandchildren grow, celebrating their accomplishments, and hearing their laughter fill her home. JoAnne was a loving sister to Robert Ray and a devoted niece to her Aunt Elizabeth (Florence) Mastercola, who was like a second mother to her. She was also a faithful friend to many. Her warmth, patience, and boundless love touched many lives and will be deeply missed. JoAnne loved animals and nature. She had fond memories of her parents’ beachfront home in Ocean City, NJ, and found solace watching the bay at her brother’s home later in life. She raised her children on a small farm in Springfield Township, NJ, where they renovated a historic farmhouse predating the Revolutionary War—surrounded by ponies, horses, dogs, cats, and ducks. JoAnne was deeply creative and skilled with her hands. She loved sewing and crafting—making her own prom dress, clothing and costumes for her children, quilts, and filling her homes with beautiful flower gardens. After her children were grown, she became an adjunct professor, teaching English at Rowan College at Burlington County. In addition to her years in the classroom, she applied her educational expertise later in life to standardized testing, working for Uniscore, McGraw Hill, and the Educational Testing Service (ETS). She was deeply religious and lived her life with a strong faith. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, August 18th at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church 42 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ. Visitation will be held from 9:30 am until 10:15 am at the church. She will be entombed at Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill, NJ, where she will be reunited in heaven with her parents, her beloved Aunt Florence, her grandmother Carmela (Milli) Calabrese, and her sister-in-law, Patricia Ray. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Humane Society of Ocean City, New Jersey: https://hsocnj.com/online-donation/