Joanne Dear

Joanne Alexis Martinolich Dear passed away peacefully on Friday, January 10,2020 at the age of 88 years.

She was born on Sunday, August 23rd, 1931 in Gulfport.

Joanne was a native and a longtime resident of Bay St. Louis, where she was a member of the Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church. She was a graduate of St. Joseph Academy in Bay St. Louis. She worked as a switchboard operator at the telephone company with her sister Myrtle Flinn, worked at her brother’s Dr. Andrew Mantinolch medical clinic and for the Hancock County Civil Defense.

She married her husband Bubba and resided in Gulfport before settling in Bay Saint Louis. She and her husband Bubba were the first to build a residential home on the water side of Beach Blvd in downtown BSL after Hurricane Camille where they retired. She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Edward N. ”Bubba” Dear; her parents, Andrew K. Martinolich, Sr. and Charline Schmidt Martinolich; brother, Dr. Andrew Martinolich Jr.. and sisters, Myrtle Flinn and Charlene Carnes.

She is survived by her four children, David Dear, Sr. (Anne) of Kiln, MS, Deidre Dear of Gulfport, MS, Dalyce Henry (Robert) of Gulfport, MS, and Denis Dear (Nelly) of Bay St. Louis, MS; one sister, Jean Martinolich;

she is also survived by her grandchildren, David Dear Jr (Yvonne), Diana Normand (Brandon), Jonathan Dear (Chrissy), Josh Dear (Kim), Douglas Henry, Jordon Breland (Brooks) and Hunter Dear; 14 great-grandchildren.