Joanne Van Dask

   Joanne Van Dask, 75, of Lititz, passed away at her home on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Born in Lancaster, she was the beloved daughter of the late Mabel and Edwin Hurst. Joanne was the loving wife of Robert "Bob" Van Dask, and together they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary this past June. She was a faithful member of St. John Neumann Catholic Church. Joanne was an avid reader who always found traveling to the mountains a time of peace and relaxation. She was a creative person who loved putting her creativity to work, making countless crafts and projects over the years. She was a talented pianist who also found great joy in preparing meals and was well known for her famous rigatoni. She cherished visiting Hawaii and the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband Bob. Joanne loved many things, but there was nothing she loved more than her family, especially her grandchildren.

   Joanne dedicated her life to others through a distinguished career in nursing. She first enrolled in the Practical Nursing Program at Reading-Muhlenberg Technical School before obtaining her Associate of Arts in Nursing from Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. For a short period of time, she served doing missionary nurse work in India. She then pursued her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland. Joanne also earned her Master of Science in Gerontological Nursing, before lastly enrolling in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, all of which she obtained from the University of Maryland. From 1973 to 2001 Joanne worked in the ICU and CCU Units at the former North Arundel Hospital in Glen Burnie, Maryland, as an LPN, and later as an RN, case manager, and nurse practitioner transitioning to caring for patients with cardiovascular disease. When relocating to Lancaster County in 2001, she joined The Heart Group, a private cardiology practice. In 2006 Joanne joined the Hypertension and Kidney Specialists, a private nephrology practice, as a nurse practitioner where she helped countless kidney dialysis patients.

   Joanne received many awards and recognitions during her career in nursing. Among her most notable honors was being named the American Cancer Society's Ms. Hope of Lancaster County. Joanne was also the recipient of the People Who Care Award, the Wilfred T. Azar Award for her outstanding delivery of patient care, and the Employee of the Year Award, during her years of nursing in Maryland.

    In addition to her husband Bob, Joanne is survived by her two daughters, Caryn Van Dask, wife of Kevin Mulcahy, and Kristin Van Dask, wife of Brian Ellis; her grandchildren, Declan, Rowan, Callan, Madeline, Kathleen, and Kevin; and her two siblings, Sidney, husband of Nancy Hurst, and William, husband of Bobbi Jo Hurst. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Hurst.

   Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 601 East Delp Road, Lancaster, PA 17601 on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 10:00 AM. There will be a viewing and time of visitation at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543 on the evening of Monday, October 26 from 6:00-8:00 PM, with the Lancaster County Nurse Honor Guard tribute beginning at 6:00 PM. Memorial contributions in Joanne's memory may be made to The Lancaster Cancer Center, 703 Lampeter Road, Lancaster, PA 17602. To send the family online condolences, please visit :www.snyderfuneralhome.com.