Joan Meloro

Joan (Hefler) Meloro, 81, of Plantation Florida passed away peacefully, Thursday September 8, 2022, after a brief illness.  She was the beloved wife of the late Richard A. Meloro.

Born February 20, 1941, in Weymouth MA, she was the daughter of the late Wilson H. Hefler and Isabel J. (Jacinto) Hefler.  She was raised in Whitman, MA and was a 1959 graduate of Whitman High School.

Joan had 3 passions that she lived for: waitressing; the love of her life, Richard (“Muzzy”); and her 4 children and their families.  She was also very creative and enjoyed hairdressing, sewing, and pottery among other arts and crafts.  

She moved to Brockton, MA in 1960 and was a proud waitress for most of her working life. She could calculate a handwritten check in her head and was always correct, right down to the penny.  Saying “she worked hard for the money” is an understatement.  She often worked at multiple restaurants just to pick up enough shifts to make ends meet.

Joan called many of Brockton’s fine establishments home over the years, most notably "Lou McMenamy’s Fish Shanty" on Pleasant Street.  She closed out her career at "Ye Olde Standish Grille" in East Bridgewater, MA.

She is survived by her children, Gale Schmidt of Houston, TX; Stacie Porter of Altamonte Springs, FL; Todd Ryan and his wife Dawn Marie of Middleboro, MA; and Anthony Meloro and his wife Bobbi of Plantation, FL. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren (Ashley, Michelle, JT, Kyle, Jack, Shane, Kristin, Halie, Carl, Sophia, Jillian, and Brody) and 12 great-grandchildren (Emilee, Michael, Makayla, Mariana, Maya, Ryuu, Ena, Madison, Ryian, Jaylen, Jace, and Anastasia).

Mom, you taught us all to be tough, to work hard and to love deeply.  Everything we are today, we owe to you.  We will miss you dearly but knowing you are in Heaven with dad makes us smile. Thank you.