JoAnn Kuuipo Medeiros' Obituary
JoAnn Kuʻuipo Medeiros, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on December 14, 2025. She was the devoted widow of Marlan P. Medeiros and lived a life rooted in faith, love, service, and quiet strength.
JoAnn had a rare gift for seeing the good in people and making everyone feel truly known. Her faith was lived rather than spoken. Through her compassion, steadiness, and hope, she reflected God in a way that was gentle and familiar, guiding others back to faith simply by how she loved.
A retired registered nurse, JoAnn lived her calling far beyond the bedside. In the early 1990s, she opened Kuʻu Home Assisted Living in Hilo, where she lovingly cared for members of the community with dignity, patience, and deep humanity. In our small Hilo community, she touched countless lives through her unwavering compassion. She later extended that same devotion to Kailua, continuing to care for others in the same unfathomable way. Those she cared for were never just patients to her. They were people she truly loved.
As the mother of seven, JoAnn loved expansively. She did not divide her heart; she multiplied it. She believed deeply in each of her children and often carried hope for them when they could not carry it themselves.
She lived for her 'Ohana. Her greatest joy was being with her children, her 18 grandchildren, and her cherished great-grandchild. Adventurous at heart, JoAnn traveled often to be with her children, never allowing distance to weaken the bonds she held so dearly. For her, home was not a place, but her people, her 'Ohana!
She met hardship with softness, held her faith with humility, and loved freely without ever keeping score. Her kindness, presence, and grace live on in all who knew her.
JoAnn is survived by her children: Darren Medeiros, Colleen Medeiros, Noelle Medeiros, Bridey Medeiros, Pua Medeiros, Mark Medeiros, and Joy Naiper, along with her grandchildren, great-grandchild, extended family, and friends.
A Celebration of Life will be held in June 2026 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, Hawai'i.
She built a legacy of faith, care, and unconditional love and will be forever remembered.
Please sign the tribute wall located on this website.
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