Joanie Cowell
SANDS TOWNSHIP, MI – Joanie Cowell, age 72, unexpectedly entered heaven on July 26, 2023. Joanie was born in Pigeon, Michigan, to Walter and Victoria Orzel. She grew up with Polish roots and family in Gagetown-Cass City, Michigan. After graduating from high school, Joanie went on to be the first of her family to attend college. She went to Northern Michigan University (NMU) where she majored in education and went on to have a 35-year career in teaching, primarily in special education. After “retiring”, Joanie pursued her PhD in Education and subsequently was a Professor of Education for 7 years at her alma mater, NMU.
In her early years of teaching the mother of one of her students, Claudia Nadeau, saw the kindhearted soul in Joanie, and hatched a plan to set Joanie up with her brother, Dave Cowell, through a “chance encounter”. Dave and Joanie enjoyed nearly 47 years of marriage, built a home together, and raised three children, Nicole, Jason, and Amanda. Joanie loved her family with all her heart and was elated to become a Grandma to Isabel Victoria Cowell, in 2017. Joanie had a passion for gourmet cooking, gardening, and making new friends wherever she went including her long-time coffee and workout “Ladies Group”. She was a devote Catholic and a member of the St. Michael’s Catholic Church choir.
Joanie is preceded in her passing by her mother and father, her two brothers, Thomas and Victor, and her sister-in-laws, Jeanette and Geraldine. Joanie is survived by her husband, David; her son, Jason and granddaughter, Isabel; daughter, Amanda and son-in-law, Aaron; and daughter, Nicole and son-in-law, Jeff.
Visitation will be held Monday, July 31, 2023 from 4 to 6 pm at Canale-Tonella Funeral Home and Cremation Services with a parish prayer service to be held at 4 pm. Visitation will also be held on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 from 10 am, until the time of the Funeral Mass at 11 am at St. Michael Catholic Church. Rev. Msgr. Michael Steber, Rev. Gregory Heikkala and Rev. Msgr. Jed Patrick will be celebrating. A luncheon will follow the Mass in the church hall. Interment will be held in the Sands Township Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to UPAWS.