Jo Ann M. (Booth) Nelson

JoAnn Marie Nelson (née Booth), 86

Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, and Lifelong Servant of Faith

JoAnn Marie Nelson, 86, of Mars, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Monday morning, October 13, 2025, at St. Barnabas Nursing Home in Gibsonia, PA.

Born on November 12, 1938, in Warsaw, New York, JoAnn was the daughter of the late Grant and Sadie Poste Booth. She grew up in Orchard Park, NY in a home where music, faith, and thoughtfulness shaped the rhythms of daily life, qualities that defined her own life of service, creativity, and quiet devotion.

In 1960, after graduating from Houghton College, JoAnn married the love of her life, Andrew Frederick Nelson, beginning a 64-year partnership that exemplified grace, purpose, and shared calling. Together, they dedicated more than five decades to full-time ministry with Hi-BA (High School Born Againers) mentoring high school students in Cleveland, Ohio and the New York metropolitan area, and helping expand the organization’s reach to Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. JoAnn was a true partner in ministry: organizing events, typing newsletters and study materials, proofreading messages, and lending her warmth and humor to every gathering. She was the quiet strength and steady presence behind a lifetime of impact.

A woman of wide-ranging gifts, JoAnn’s hands were rarely still. She found joy in crafting, needlepoint, knitting, and creating handmade gifts (especially Christmas ornaments) for family and friends. Each piece she made carried her signature care and attention to detail. She was beloved for her personalized poems and rewritten songs, lovingly tailored to honor birthdays, milestones, and friendships with wit and heart.

JoAnn had a special gift for working with children and inspiring them to love music. She was especially proud of directing the Kids’ Chorale at River Vale Evangelical Free Church, where her joy and enthusiasm made an impact on generations of young singers. She directed many “Psalty the Songbook” musicals, pouring her creativity and energy into productions that blended music, storytelling, and faith. She also created original characters and scripts for puppet shows during Vacation Bible School programs at Teaneck Evangelical Free Church, delighting children and parents alike with her imagination and joyful sense of fun.

JoAnn’s love for language and precision also shone through her professional and family life. A skilled secretary and exceptional typist, she worked for court reporters but was equally known for her patient editing of her children’s term papers and reports, always improving, encouraging, and inspiring them to do their best work.

Music was a lifelong passion. JoAnn was a devoted soprano and talent pianist, faithfully serving in choirs, accompanying soloists, and assisting with countless rehearsals. Worship through music brought her profound joy, and she delighted in sharing it with every congregation she joined.

Over the years, JoAnn and Andy found spiritual homes in churches that shaped and sustained them: River Vale Evangelical Free Church in River Vale, NJ; Clayton Baptist Church in Clayton, NJ; and Forcey Bible Church in Silver Spring, MD. In each, JoAnn immersed herself in Sunday School classes and small-group Bible studies, cultivating enduring friendships and a legacy of prayer and encouragement.

JoAnn was affectionately known as “Grandma Nelson” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a role she cherished deeply. She was a thoroughly engaged grandmother who celebrated each child’s uniqueness, prayed for them daily, and treasured every visit, call, and milestone. Her legacy continues through her daughters Amy Horrocks (Kevin) of Mars, Pennsylvania, and Becky Ford (Jonathan) of Silver Spring, Maryland; her son-in-law Albert Torres of Burlington, New Jersey (husband of her late daughter Cindy Torres); her sister Linda Lawyer (Richard) of Wilmington, Delaware; ten grandchildren: Daniel, Andrew, Rachel, and Naomi Torres; Joanna Morris, Jackson Ford, and Bethany Mangan; Katie, Amanda, and AJ Horrocks and four great-grandchildren, Millie and Leo Morris, and Elaina and Ezra Torres.

A Memorial Service celebrating JoAnn’s life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Clayton Baptist Church, 110 S Delsea Dr, Clayton, NJ 08312. Friends and family are warmly invited to attend and share in this celebration of JoAnn’s life. If you have something that JoAnn made for you, you are encouraged to bring it for display during the service.

A private graveside service for family will be held at Rosedale Memorial Park in Bensalem, PA on Monday, November 24, 2025.

Flowers may be delivered directly to Clayton Baptist Church to be enjoyed during the memorial service on November 23.

Directions and condolences are available at www.mcdonald-aeberli.com.