BRICK – It’s been nearly one year since Brick Township resident Joanne Zezula has passed, but she’s left an impactful mark on many lives.
Her memory is honored today as friends and community members share her art and instructional books.
Joanne was in the first graduating class of Brick High in 1959 and went on to be a history teacher at Brick High School for many years.
“She performed in a play while as a student and then, later, before she retired, she was asked to have a part in the play ‘Into The Woods.’ She accepted the part and did all the rehearsals, etc. I remember many of us (I was a colleague of hers) went to see her in that play,” said Jane Fabach, Press Secretary of the Brick Township Historical Society.
Joanne was a founding member of the Brick Township Historical Society. She and her mother, Felicia Nowicki, were both founding members of the Laurelton Art Society.
“I have many memories of all the things Joanne did for the Historical Society, including holding a contest to see who could make the best scarecrow one autumn. She was president of the society four times (four two-year terms), and she scheduled the tour guides for many years. She baked for our sales. She sold items at our festivals. She sold tickets for the Christmas tours. She did whatever was needed,” Fabach said. “She was a great friend and her passing last year on August 2, 2023, was indeed a sad day for hundreds of people.”
Recently, the Brick Township Historical Society held an art show at its Havens Homestead Museum in memory of Joanne. Books owned by Joanne were also presented to the Laurelton Art Society.
As an avid watercolorist, one of Joanne’s books were handmade with pages of her watercolors of flowers and instructions how to draw them. The small book consists of front and back green covers tied with pink raffia and eight pages inside.
“In one instance she printed to use a credit card to draw the stems,” Fabach said. “It is a very unique book and came to us with many watercolor paintings, from her family. The Brick Township Historical Society members agreed it should be presented to the Laurelton Art Society as that was such a big part of her life.”
The second book they presented was titled “Flower Painting in Watercolor” by Charles Reid. The book was on watercolors and signed by the author for Joanne.
Both books were presented by Fabach to Laurelton Art Society President Trisha Monto Autore and their treasurer, Ilene Van Duyne.
“I believe she really liked and used the book as there were several enclosures she had in the book,” Fabach said about the second book. “It looked like she was putting pictures she had in there, maybe to paint in watercolor later.”
Joanne was well known in the area for her watercolors, with many of her subjects being the sea, the beach, lighthouses, flowers and old buildings.
Joanne was also in the Manasquan River group of artists and the Ocean County Artists Guild in Island Heights. Many pieces of her art won ribbons and are displayed locally, several being left in the museum and the Lizzie Herbert Gift Shop at Havens Homestead.
