Obituary of Joanne Brewster

Joanne Brewster, 81, passed away peacefully with her family at her bedside on March 27, 2024. Joanne was the daughter of Charles and Josephine (D'Acquisto) Palermo and lived her entire life in Rochester, New York. She battled many health issues throughout her life and faced all of these challenges with poise, resilience, and grace. She was ever loving and caring, while also having a wonderful sense of humor. Along with her parents, she is predeceased by her first husband of 22 years, Gerald Devereaux, her second husband of 15 years, Mark Brewster, and her older brother, John Palermo. Joanne is survived by her daughter, Sheila (Douglas) Bass. She is also survived by her brother, Stephen (Angela) Palermo, her sister-in-law, Beverly Palermo, and her grandchildren, Mary Rose Utter, Michael Utter, and Ian Bass. She is also survived by her step-children, Jeffrey (Beth) Brewster, Jan (Sharon) Brewster, and Michele (Rick) Bautista, as well as her nieces, step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many dear friends.

Joanne embodied the wonderful premise that a life well-lived is one in which you leave the world in a better place than when you entered it. By her mere presence in this world, she made the world for all those who knew her a better and more special place. While she will live forever in the hearts of those she touched, her absence will likewise be felt by all those lucky enough to have called her sister, friend, aunt, grandmother, and mom.

Calling hours to share in the celebration of Joanne's life will be held at Paul W. Harris Funeral Home at 570 Kings Highway South, Rochester, New York on Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. All are welcome to join us so that we may help each other to begin healing from the great loss we are all feeling by sharing with one another our grief, stories, memories, and strength at this gathering dedicated to the memory of our time spent with one of God's greatest gifts who has now been called home to spend eternity in the presence of the Lord she loved and believed in so deeply.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joanne's name to a charity dear to her heart, Autism Up, online at www.autismup.com.