Joanne (Kempler) Barlia, a devoted mother of four, died on Feb. 14. She was 57. Joanne was born on April 13, 1963, in Summit, New Jersey to Donald Kempler and the former Hindy Vogel. She grew up in West Orange, NJ and graduated from Boston University in 1985 before moving to Washington DC. There, she met Brian Barlia, whom she married in 1990. Together they raised four children, Joseph, Adrienne, James and Billy, and were reliable volunteers and regular attendees at school functions, performances and sporting events.

Joanne had an adventurous and deeply caring spirit; on family vacations she could be found hiking, biking, sailing, breathing through a yoga pose or even hanging from a trapeze. She was committed to helping those in need and regularly gave back to her community. In recent years she was an ardent advocate and fundraiser for the Ocular Melanoma Foundation.

In addition to her husband and four children, survivors include her mother, Hindy; her sister, Debbie Freundlich (Andy Freundlich), and brother, Brett Kempler. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Ocular Melanoma Foundation would be greatly appreciated.