JoAnne Claire (nee Pozniak) Lemenille, wife of Steven Lemenille, mother of Ross-Steven Lemenille, mother-in-law of Lisa Hargis-Lemenille and grandmother of Callen Joseph Lemenille passed away January 26, 2021 after a brief and sudden illness.

JoAnne resided originally in Union with her parents, the late Joseph and Josephine Pozniak, before moving to Clark in 1965. Mr. Pozniak was a Clark councilman and Council President. JoAnne attended St. Michael's Grammar School in Union and graduated from Union High School in 1964. She graduated from Jersey City State College (JCSC) in 1968 with a degree in Music Education. She taught in Rahway for one year, then in Clark for over 30 years from which she retired. She conducted music concerts at Kumpf School and was the Band Director, Chorus Director and Drama Director until her retirement.

JoAnne always had a passion for theater and the performing arts. While growing up in Union, she belonged to the TeenStagers Theater Group. While in college, JoAnne was a member of Tower Players Drama Club, Community College Orchestra, Mixed Choir, College Band, Music Educators Club, Sophomore Class Secretary, Student Government Finance Committee. JoAnne received America's Outstanding Students in America's Colleges and Universities Award for 1967-68. In 1966, she was Miss Jersey City State Homecoming Queen. JoAnne was the 2nd Runner-Up in the Union County Miss America Pageant in 1967; later that same year she became the winner of the Miss Hudson County Pageant and competed in the NJ Miss America Pageant in Cherry Hill.

JoAnne began her legacy here at WCP by performing in The Cemetery Club. JoAnne was then asked to join the Westfield Community Players family as Properties Chair. She then became a member of the Board of Directors serving as Performance Director, Producer, Vice-President and then President of WCP. While serving in these positions, she continued working backstage handling properties and often costuming for all shows since 2007. Her relationship to those who performed here at WCP was beloved and highly respected. She was also instrumental in producing several talent shows for WCP. JoAnne was also a dear friend of Marc Shaiman, American composer and lyricist for films, television, and theatre. JoAnne, in her early years, was an accomplished equestrian. Musically, she played over 12 instruments. JoAnne also gave of herself to other local community theaters, Summit, Clark Players, Philathalians, the Barn theater. She also appeared in a number of productions at the Barn Theater and with Regal Productions, a semi-professional theater group.

Westfield Community Players will be establishing a Memorial Fund named in honor of JoAnne Lemenille. Donations can be made to the fund through Westfield Community Players, Attn. JoAnne Lemenille Fund, 1000 North Avenue West, Westfield, N.J. 07090.

Linda C. Giuditta, Devoted Mother, Friend and Actress Linda C. Giuditta, a 65-year resident of Westfield, passed away on Sunday, July 19, at the age of 91after a long illness. Born and raised in Garwood, she was the daughter of the late Carmine and Olympia Guerriero, and she was pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Dr. Nicholas A. Giuditta, of 42 years in 1993.

A passionate lover of theatre and music since she was a child performing in the backyard, Linda attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City as a young woman. There she learned how to create the comedic and dramatic characters and accents that were the hallmark of her theatrical career throughout her life in community theatre. She also loved playing piano, and gave her children and numerous nieces and nephews many happy hours around the piano playing and singing Christmas carols. For numerous years, her home was the site of joyous family barbecues and holiday parties that she and her husband Nick orchestrated as a team.

Linda and Nick were instrumental in the founding and securing of property for Westfield Community Players, one of the longest continuously running community theatres in New Jersey. Together they were involved with shows at Grant School and Roosevelt Junior High School, which provided the earliest venues for Community Players' fledgling productions. Over the years, on the Community Players' stage, she had leading roles in "Social Security," "The Cemetery Club," "There Goes the Bride," "Cactus Flower," "Enter Laughing," "The Crucible," and "Look Homeward Angel," in addition to many other parts. She was on the Playreading Committee for ten years and was in charge of the Casting Committee for many years as well. Also a longtime member of the Cranford Dramatic Club, she played some of her favorite characters there: Miss Hannigan in "Annie," Bloody Mary in "South Pacific," Mrs. Van Daan in "The Diary of Anne Frank," Grandma in "Lost in Yonkers" and Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit."

She ran her husband's dental office for many years after her children were grown, as well as managing the many details of the professional dental groups that he headed. Linda was a generous person who always shared her bountiful life with her children with family trips to Hawaii, Italy and many day trips to New York and New Jersey theatre. She was pre-deceased by her two older sisters Garentina Riccardo and Virginia Guerriero, who always smoothed the way for her; and her three brothers, James, Anthony and Carmine. She will be deeply missed by her children, Camille Giuditta Sorensen of Washington, D.C.; Roz Giuditta of Scotch Plains, N.J.; Nicholas A. Giuditta III and his wife Francine of Cranford, N.J.; their sons Nicholas IV and Christopher, along with many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Westfield Community Players will be establishing a Memorial Fund named in honor of Linda Giuditta's. Donations can be made to the fund through Westfield Community Players, Attn. Giuditta Memorial Fund, 1000 North Avenue West, Westfield, N.J. 07090.

You may also complete the form located at: Giuditta Fund