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Joan Marie Tomassilli
Born: 2/9/1933
Died: 12/28/2025
Age: 92
Community: Grand Blanc, MI
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Tomassilli, Joan Marie (nee Gruden) of Grand Blanc (formerly of Flint) passed peacefully in her sleep at her home on December 28, 2025. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 am Monday January 12, 2026, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church , 1227 East Bristol Road in Burton, Father Georges Bidzogo SAC officiating.
https://www.youtube.com/live/mw2KFqERMqM
Entombment at New Calvary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Boys Town, St Jude’s Research Hospital, Shriners Hospital. Visitation 4-8 pm Sunday January 11, 2026, at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Rod. A rosary will be prayed at 6:30 pm at the funeral home. Mrs. Tomassilli will be at the church from 10 am Monday until the time of the Mass.
Mrs. Tomassilli was born in Eveleth, MN at Spruce Hill ( Chicken town, as her husband always said!) on February 9, 1933, the first born of John F. Gruden and Julia Krall Gruden. She was raised in Eveleth on the Iron Range. Although, she grew up during the depression, she said her life was full and happy. She was proud of her Slovenian heritage. She was educated in the Eveleth schools where she participated in band, drama and tennis. She was a big supporter of the high school hockey team, which were state champions all four years she was in high school. The scrapbook she collected in those years, is part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame archives, located in Eveleth. After graduation in 1951, she followed her desire for independence and attended Eveleth Junior College for 2 years, then she attended The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN; for two years. She graduated in 1955 with majors in biology and chemistry and a minor in religion. She did her training as a Medical Technologist at St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth, MN. While at St. Scholastica, she became an Oblate (3rd order) member of the Order of St. Benedict, Collegeville, MN.
She and her college roommate Marie Finco Couture, were hired right out of college to work as Medical Technologists at McLaren Hospital in Flint, arriving during Flint’s Centennial Celebration in 1955. She met her husband, Tony, in 1956 through the lab secretary, Mrs. Gradowski, who ran a boarding house for the guys at GMI. After her first date, she told her roommates, “I’m going to marry that man.” A year later, they were married on July 6, 1957. They enjoyed 47 years of marriage before Tony’s death. Unlike other women of the 50’s, Joan worked after having each of her children. She was Chief Medical Technologist for Ballenger Hwy. Medical Lab, and for the Elms Medical Laboratory, of which she was also a partner. After retiring from the lab business, she also worked with her husband at his various businesses. She loved to travel with her husband, and in the last 20 years of life as a widow, traveled widely, including to Italy in 2011 with her family. She loved to read, and watch old movies, especially musicals. She could sing all the old show tunes and taught them to her daughters. She was an avid canner. She was still “supervising” the canning of tomatoes this past fall.
Left to cherish her memory are daughters: Anna Marie and her husband David Bartels, Pasqualine and her husband Thomas Backus, both from Grand Blanc, and Martha Tomassilli and her husband Mark Erickson from Sacramento, CA. Grandchildren: Justine and her husband Paul Burdette, Rachel and her husband Mike Gray, Julia Backus, Elaine Carlson and Everett Carlson. Great-grandchildren: Vivian and Vaughn Burdette.
Sister: Kathy and her husband Rick Hocevar of West Melbourne, FL. Brothers: Robert and wife Diane Gruden of Hagerstown, MD and William Gruden of Hastings, MN. Brother in laws: Larry and wife Loretta Tomassilli of Steubenville, OH and Ernie Tomassilli and wife Judi Schafer of Sacramento, CA. 16 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Anthony V. Tomassilli, her parents, and brother John M. Gruden, Jr.
Special Thanks to her care givers Terre and Rebecca. The staff at Right at Home, McLaren Hospice. The Doctors and staff at McLaren Wound Clinic and Dr. Halina Kusz. |
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| Visitation |
| Date: |
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1/11/2026 |
| Time: |
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4:00 PM |
| Visitation 4-8 pm Sunday January 11, 2026, at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Rod. A rosary will be prayed at 6:30 pm at the funeral home. Mrs. Tomassilli will be at the church from 10 am Monday until the time of the Mass. |
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| Funeral Service |
| Date: |
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1/12/2026 |
| Time: |
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11:00 AM |
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| Location: |
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Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
1227 East Bristol Road
Burton, MI 48529Get a Map to this location...
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| Official: |
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Father Georges Roger Bidzogo |
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