Joan Marie Zegalia - Obituary

oan Marie Knappen Zegalia was born on July 31, 1936, in the sleepy little town of Carbondale, PA to her loving parents, Edward Knappen and Hannah Briggs Knappen. Joan grew up helping her parents at their family fish market. Eventually, she graduated from St Rose High School in Carbondale, PA. After that, she took a correspondence course in interior decorating. One night, whilst out sipping Singapore Slings with her best friend, she was spotted by a handsome young man named John Zegalia. John saw her across the bar and was taken by the beautiful Joan. After a period of courting and romance, the two were married at St. Rose of Lima Church in Carbondale, PA. To help pay the rent while John finished his college degree, Joan worked as a jewelry saleswoman at the Globe Department Store in Scranton, PA. The couple then moved to Maryland, where John worked at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt. From there they began growing their family. Joan and John had four children: Ann Al-Jazrawi, John (J.B.), Michael, and Steven. After raising her four children, she resumed her education, pursuing classes in floral arrangements, child development, and eventually earning her child care certificate and then working in daycare. Joan always loved crafts and painting. She was a proper and feminine lady with her favorite colors being pink and light green. Even after the nest was empty, her family continued to grow, leaving her with six grandchildren: John Al-Jazrawi, Alexander Al-Jazrawi, Allison Zegalia, Michelle Zegalia, Charles Zegalia, and Rachael Zegalia. She had one great-grandchild, Whelan Robinson. Friends are invited to celebrate Joan’s life on Monday, July 17 from 6 to 8 pm at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, MD where her funeral service will be held on Tuesday, July 18 at 1 pm. Interment will follow at 2:30 pm at the Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Cheltenham, MD. Condolences may be made by using the Memories tab on this page.