JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi

JoAnne Luthmann Nolemi is a native Staten Islander, a high school chorus teacher and amateur military historian. A gifted musician, she is a highly-acclaimed church organist and solo vocalist. Ms. Nolemi has been educated at City University of New York (CUNY) Lehman (MAT), the CUNY Baccalaureate Program (BS), Juilliard, Westminster Choir College and the University of Vienna. She values most her diploma from Tottenville High School in Staten Island, where she has had the privilege of teaching music for the past 19 years.

As an educator, Ms. Nolemi believes the world is the greatest classroom and the people of the community can be the best teachers. She has dedicated countless after-school hours to giving her students opportunities to sing for every day heroes. Her highly acclaimed choruses regularly perform at civic events. They have sung at Carnegie Hall and appeared on Late Night with David Letterman.

As an amateur historian, Ms. Nolemi has dedicated the past five years of her life to compiling and cataloging data on every Staten Islander killed in American Wars. Her work has expanded the previously accepted number of casualties from 771 to 1,214 men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country. Her labors have uncovered 443 heroes whom history had somehow overlooked or forgotten. Thanks to Ms. Nolemi’s passion, they are forgotten no longer.

Ms. Nolemi is able to combine her two passions: the students of Tottenville High School and her “Island of Heroes Project,” by introducing her kids to these heroes through story-telling, presentations, research projects and community projects. Her students have won top honors in New York State and New York City research competitions with projects based on the lives of these heroes, using Ms. Nolemi’s research techniques.

Due to her eff orts, Tottenville High School recently unveiled three war memorials for their 84 fallen heroes. In the near future, Ms. Nolemi will share her research with all Staten Island schools and houses of worship, in the hope that they will follow suit and honor their people who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Ms. Nolemi is the manager of a charity farm, Bountiful Harvest, whose fresh produce is given away to families in need and to soup kitchens on Staten Island. She also serves as the Music Minister at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Ms. Nolemi is married to Louis Nolemi. She has great parents, Robert Luthmann and Anne Lind, four loving siblings and a large extended family. Her family is very supportive and inspired by her dedication to the fallen heroes of her community.