A beloved wife and devoted mother, JoAnne Malm, 69, of Middletown, died peacefully at home March 7, 2026, after a long illness, surrounded by family. She is remembered by family and friends for her kindness and concern for others, for her love of the Lord and for volunteerism in her community.
Born JoAnne Linguanti in Suffern, New York, to John A. Linguanti and Carolyn M. Rickle, she enjoyed growing up in the Rockland County area and graduated from Suffern Sr. High School in 1974. She attended the American Business Academy, earning a certificate in court reporting and secretarial studies.
JoAnne worked for the Tensolite division of Carlisle Corp as a human resources administrative assistant in Buchanan, New York, from 1977 to 1985. Her organizational talents enabled her to enjoy helping many employees with their insurance and employment issues.
JoAnne married her loving husband, Stephen Malm, in October 1984 at the United Church of Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York. The couple relocated to Monmouth County in 1985 where JoAnne became employed with Wakefern Food Corp as a corporate benefits analyst in Woodbridge.
In 1987, JoAnne became a mom and decided to stay at home and raise her two daughters, what she considered her most treasured role. Her specialty of cooking, baking and arranging birthday parties was noted by all who knew her. JoAnne especially loved the art of creating special pastries, pies and cakes for every holiday and special occasion. She used her gifts and talents as a church and community volunteer for over a decade. Roles included administrative church clerk, nursery attendant, Vacation Bible School teacher, OLPH field trip coordinator and Middletown North PTA hospitality coordinator. She also served on the Monmouth County Committee in Middletown for several years.
Although a self-described homebody, JoAnne enjoyed a memorable trip to Paris with her husband and many family trips over the years to Hawaii and Disney in Orlando, Florida. In between trips, she loved exploring nature while hiking the trails of the Monmouth County Park System.
Returning to the work world in 2011, JoAnne earned certification in medical billing and coding and became a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders. JoAnne worked as a medical billing accounts receivable specialist for several local chiropractic and pulmonary practices until retiring in 2022.
During 2025, JoAnne and Stephen celebrated the wedding of their youngest daughter and commemorated their own 41st wedding anniversary.
Remaining to cherish JoAnne’s memory are her husband, Stephen Malm; daughter Ashley; daughter Meredith (with husband Nicholas Rellas); step-mother Barbara Linguanti; brother Jack Linguanti (with wife Sheila); sister Nancy Linguanti; nieces Carolyn, Alyssa, Amanda and Christine; nephews Kevin, Kyle and John; brothers-in-law Michael Malm (with wife Cindy) and Kenneth Malm (with wife Joan).
Preceding JoAnne in death were her parents, John and Carolyn Linguanti; her brothers, Bruce and Vincent Linguanti and nephew Vincent Linguanti.
Visitation will be held from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at the John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown.
Memorial donations in JoAnne’s name may be directed to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at mskcc.org and the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund at danafarber.jimmyfund.org. Both organizations provided enormous support, hope and comfort to JoAnne during her illness.
The article originally appeared in the March 12 – 18, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
