HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOANN SMITH

Quick facts

Record: Extensions of Remarks
Section type: Recognition
Chamber: House
Date: July 27, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: Extensions of Remarks are statements submitted for the official record, even if they were not spoken live on the floor.

Readable version of the official text

HON. RITCHIE TORRES

of new york

in the house of representatives

Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable Bronxite, educator, writer, wife, mother, sister, aunt, and friend, Joann Smith.

Joann passed away on July 17, 2026, at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx,

following a courageous battle with cancer. She leaves behind a legacy defined not by her illness, but by her bravery, her kindness, her creativity, and her love for others.

Born in the Bronx in 1956, Joann grew up on the Grand Concourse and

was educated in the Bronx Catholic school system. She went on to earn degrees from Iona College, the College of New Rochelle, and Lehman College before pursuing her Master of Fine Arts at Sarah Lawrence College.

Joann spent fifteen years as an educator, teaching in both Catholic

and New York City public schools. She later devoted her life to writing, teaching aspiring writers, and expanding access to education. She served as a professor, program director, creative director, editor, and mentor.

She fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a published author,

writing the historical novel When I Was Boudicca and, and in 2021, she published her acclaimed short story collection, A Heaven of the Choosing.

But Joann's greatest joy was her family. She and her husband, Robert Fanuzzi, celebrated thirty years of marriage this year. And in 2001, Joann and Robert traveled to China to adopt their daughter, Mia—a journey Joann considered the highlight of her life.