Forever in our hearts is Joanne Alberta Popovich Aheimer, age 83, who went to her eternal rest in Heaven on November 20, 2025.  Joanne is survived by her loving husband, Ronald B. Aheimer.  Additionally, she is survived by a daughter, Donna J. Aheimer-Lockwood, a son, Paul J. Aheimer, and his wife, Kimberly, a daughter in law, Martha L. Aheimer, six grandchildren including:  John C. Lockwood and his wife, Megan, Nicholas R. Lockwood and his fiancée, Zhanna Mizgina, Justin A. Aheimer and his wife, Emily, Schuyler E. Aheimer, Chloe A. Aheimer and Jakob P. Aheimer as well as two great-grandchildren including:  Mason R. Criger and Marleigh R. Lockwood.  Finally, she is survived by two sisters, Marilyn Bell and Charlotte Hornish and her husband, Timothy, a devoted nephew, John Nagy, a special friend, Mary Ann Richie, a canine companion, Georgie IV, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.  She was pre-deceased by her parents, Charles and Wilma Popovich, a son, Gary A. Aheimer, a granddaughter, Hope Ann Aheimer, and a sister, Karen Popovich.

Joanne was born on November 13, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She excelled in grade school and skipped two grade levels.  At the age of 14, while playing violin in the South Hills High School Orchestra in Pittsburgh, PA, she met the love of her life, Ronald Aheimer, who was also a violinist. She was a member of the South Hills High School Honor Society and graduated from high school at age 16 and began employment at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Pittsburgh, PA.

After marrying Ronald on February 10, 1962, Joanne gave birth to Gary in 1963 and Donna in 1964. Later in the year of 1964, Joanne and Ron re-located from Pittsburgh, PA to Hampton, VA when Ron re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.  Joanne gave birth to her third and last child, Paul, at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in 1965.  Joanne and Ron remained living in Hampton, VA after Ron completed his enlistment in the U.S. Air Force. When their youngest child, Paul, began grade school, Joanne started employment in the retail field; however, she decided that she wanted to further her education and she enrolled in the Dixie Hospital School of Practical Nursing at the Virginia Peninsula Vocational-Technical Education Center in Hampton, Virginia and graduated from the vocational nursing program on March 2, 1973 and subsequently became licensed as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and began employment at Dixie Hospital initially on the Labor and Delivery Unit but transferred to the Pediatric Unit after her first 6 months of employment due to her love of children.  She again decided to further her education and enrolled in the Registered Nurse Nursing Curriculum at Thomas Nelson Community College and graduated magna cum laude in June 1979 with an Associate's Degree in Applied Science in Nursing.  After passing the Registered Nurse License Exam in the Commonwealth of Virginia, she was promoted to the position of Registered Nurse at Dixie Hospital which later became Sentara CarePlex Hospital. She retired from Sentara CarePlex Hospital after working with the hospital for 29 years of which about 28 years of her nursing service was on the Pediatrics Unit and her final year of service at Sentara CarePlex was on the Women's Health Unit because the Pediatric Unit had closed the prior year.  After retiring from Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Virginia, she began employment with Newport News Public Schools and worked as a School Nurse for Charles Elementary School for one year.

After concluding her nursing career, she focused more time being a grandmother, completing sewing projects and travelling.  Joanne was a very talented seamstress and her sewing projects included: dressmaking, cross stitch, needlepoint, crocheting blankets, hook rug making, re-upholstering car seats and chairs, drapery making and quilting.  She also enjoyed other creative crafts such as painting pictures and ceramics. Finally, she had a passion for creative writing and wrote many poems.  Some topics of her poetry included writing about the love of her life, her husband, and writing a poem to honor her ancestors.  She had a poem published in the Daily Press newspaper as an entry for a poetry contest.

During her lifetime, she enjoyed spending time with her family, traveling to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA for regular visits, as well as going on vacations to the Outer Banks in North Carolina and going on many cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas with her husband.

Visitation will be held at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home located at 245 S. Armistead Avenue, Hampton, Virginia 23669 on November 30, 2025 for visitors from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and again for all visitors on December 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.  A Celebration of Life Service will be held on December 1, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church located at 250 Fox Hill Road, Hampton, VA 23669. Following the conclusion of visitation at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home on December 1, 2025, there will be a police escort car procession from R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for the Celebration of Life Service.  (Please do not arrive for parking or seating before 11:00 a.m. for the Celebration of Life Service at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church due to another event which will be exiting between 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on December 1, 2025.)  Flowers may be ordered through Becky's Buckroe Florist by calling (757) 723-0005 (or the florist of your choice) for delivery to R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home on November 30, 2025 at noon. Memorial donations may be made to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hampton, Virginia. Internment will take place privately, on December 5, 2025, at the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery.