Joanne Mary (nee Recupero) Trageser, a.k.a. Coopee or Miss R, age 67, of Ambler, PA., passed away on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the American Legion Post 10, in Fort Washington, PA.

Born on March 6, 1958, in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of John, who passed on October 31, 1983, and Lucy, who passed on March 24, 2017, Recupero.

Joanne attended, St. Raymonds Catholic School from Kindergarten through 8th grade, where she met her lifelong friends, Joanne and Laura.

She went on to attend Bishop McDevitt High School graduating in 1976.

After High School she attended Bloomsburg University and graduated in 1980.

While at Bloomsburg, Joanne, met her husband Matthew John Trageser and married him on August 23, 1980. Since he was in ROTC, she became a military wife, and traveled to Germany for their first four years of marriage. Being stationed in Nuremberg FRG (West Germany) she became a teacher for the Basic Skills Education Program (BSEP) program and quickly became one of the most sought out teachers. Her income was better than that of a Second Lieutenant’s monthly income, which Matthew thought was great.

After Germany they went to Fort Riley, KS in 1985 where they bought their first home in Manhattan, KS. When Matthew was given a command as a company commander, she took command of her new position as a company commander’s wife. With her great skills of organization, she became a great asset to Matthew as he commanded his company. She even coordinated his surprise 30th birthday party while he was in command.

Joanne took on a job to help soldiers find work outside of their military career’s when the Army started to downsize in the late 1980s. Her position was also cut when the budget was reduced, but she stayed on as a volunteer to help people find new jobs. When the General was being briefed on the reduction of forces and was asked what happened to the position of the person who was to find people jobs, he was told the position had been cut but that she was staying on as a volunteer. He said that it did not make sense to cut that position and wanted it reinstated, especially since she was doing the job anyway. Joanne was able to help many people find new jobs and careers while she was at Fort Riley.

In 1989 it was time to leave Fort Riley and Mathew’s new assignment took him to Pittsburgh, PA to do one of his three R’s (Recruitment, Readiness, ROTC)- Matthew was going to do readiness, but he was still in command and could not leave to find a house to buy. Joanne took it upon herself to drive to Pittsburgh and go house shopping, where she found a nice house in Cannonsburg PA. She joined the Officers’ Wives Club there and took on substitute teachings at the local Cannonsburg school, as well as teaching at St. Patrick’s elementary school.

At this time Joanne and Mathew decided to have a family so on February 16, 1990, their daughter Katherine Helen was born. But as nothing is permanent, the Armed Forces were being downsized, so with heavy heart Matthew and Joanne left the Army in 1992.

Joanne and Matthew stayed in Pittsburgh until 1995 when they moved to Ambler PA to be closer to her mother and older sister, Joyce. In October 1997 they bought their final house in Ambler and Joanne took on her greatest job as the Director of Religious Education (DRE) at St. Rose of Lima, which she did until 2019.

She battled cancer from 2015-2018, and won her fight. Joanne also survived COVID-19 when she spent three months in the hospital from December 7, 2020 until February 27, 2021. During that time Matthew received three phone calls from doctors to tell him to prepare for the worst. She and Matthew believe that it was the power of prayer and a miraculous miracle that kept her alive.

She also was a prayer warrior and helped teach CCD (PREP) at St. Anthony’s from 2019 to 2024, when she finally retired to take it easy.

Taking it easy for Joanne meant filling her time helping other people and organizations and continuing to be a prayer warrior. To say that Mathew and Katherine, as well as the many people she has touched throughout her life, will miss Joanne, would be a great understatement.

One last note is her love of baseball and especially the Phillies. She loved telling the story of her first game when the sisters at St. Raymonds received some free tickets to see the Phillies. She and a bunch of other students went to the game. She said she did not understand the game but knew that she wanted to know more about the team and baseball. Joanne and her older sister Joyce would watch it on channel 17 and listen to it on the radio, and in that way, they learned the game of Baseball.

Matthew played a lot of sandlot baseball but never watched the game on TV, and never had time to pay attention to the games while he was in the Army. Starting in 1997 after moving in at Ambler, they did two things. Joanne joined the American Legion Post 10, Auxiliary club along with her husband, who is also a member of both the American Legion Veterans and Sons organization and started watching the Phillies. Matthew adopted the Phillies after a couple of years as his team. Joanne would talk baseball to anyone who wanted to talk baseball. In her presence one could never bad talk the Phillies or you would get your ear bent for many hours.

In addition to her husband, Matthew, and daughter, Katherine (nee Trageser) St. Pierre (husband Daniel), Joanne is survived by her sisters Joyce Recupero and Lucille (nee Recupero) Broelmann (husband William (Bill) deceased) and their son William (Will).

Donations:
Joanne’s favorite flowers are daisies and snapdragons,

• Donations to help defer the cost of the funeral would be greatly appreciatied.

• American Legion Post 10, Aux Unit 10
• Sons Squadron 10
• CCD (PREP) program at St. Anthony’s Catholic School in Ambler, Pa.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR JOANNE TRAGESER
St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Parish
259 Forest Avenue
Ambler, PA   19002
VIEWING:  October 29, 2025 – 9:00 AM – 10:45 AM
MASS:  October 29, 2025 – 11:00 AM

GATHERING/RECEPTION:
All are welcome to attend the Gathering/Reception, following the Mass at:
American Legion Post #10
493 S Bethlehem Pike
Fort Washington, PA 19034
(215) 646-9895

INTERMENT on November 4, 2025
All are welcome to attend the interment on November 4, 2025 at
Washington Crossing National Cemetery
830 Highland Rd

Newtown, PA 18940
Phone: 215-222-7510

Please arrive at the cemetery by 2 PM for the 2:30 Interment.