Obituary: Joanne Rayhill

Joanne Rayhill, 94, of Grand Island, was reunited in heaven with the love of her life, Dr. Edward A. Rayhill, on April 9, 2025, surrounded by the family who adored her.

Joanne Claire Decot was born in Snyder, the youngest daughter of nine children, to Dr. Valentine A. Decot and Clara Catherine Wolfe of Buffalo. Joanne attended Christ the King School and Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, inspiring a lifelong interest in art that she would develop further at Rosary Hill College (now Daemon), where she trained under the esteemed Buffalo painter Dr. V. Roger Lalli.

On Aug. 17, 1946, Joanne met and fell in love with Edward A. “Ted” Rayhill. After seven years of dating, they married on June 20, 1953, at St. Benedict’s Church in Snyder. Shortly after welcoming two daughters in the home Joanne grew up in, the young couple relocated to Quonset Point Rhode Island for Ted’s service in the Navy, after which they moved back to Kenmore – and finally their forever home on Grand Island, in 1958.

Joanne continued to practice her art by accepting commissions from friends and family, oftentimes to commemorate a loved one. She loved hosting big family meals, gardening, tennis, biking, kayaking and cross-country skiing. She was an avid sports fan of her favorite teams (especially the Buffalo Bills) and loved card games, hot fudge sundaes and sunset boat rides on the Niagara River.

Joanne took an active interest in the lives of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and was a proud matriarch.

Joanne and Ted were happily married for over 71 years. She courageously cared for Ted at home during the last decade of his life as he experienced dementia, and she remained devoted to him to the very end. She will no longer have to miss Ted.

She leaves behind her four children: Christine McLimans (Frank Eason), Karen Bruno (John), Michael (former wife Donnette) and Catherine (Katherine Hastings); eight grandchildren: Andrew (Kathleen) Bruno, Nicole (Jess) Laski, Melissa (Will Raskopf), Thomas (Danielle), James, Michael, Ashley (Jeremy) McLimans-Davis and Blake McLimans; and six great-grandchildren: Clare and Kyle Bruno, Emma and Leah Laski, Finn and Zoe Raskopf; as well as her large extended Decot and Wolfe clan of nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, and by eight siblings: Ginny Dillingham, Bunny Jehle, Florence Berger, Claire Arnold, Val, Robert (Bud), James and Frank Decot.

A wake was held Tuesday, April 15, at the Kaiser Funeral Home. A graveside service was held Wednesday, April 16, at the Whitehaven Cemetery on Grand Island. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Grand Island Fire Co. (https://grandislandfire.us/donate_now.html) or the UB School of Family Medicine Research Fund (https://ubfoundation.buffalo.edu/giving/index.php).

Share condolences at kaiserfuneral.com.