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Jonette DeLuca

Jonette DeLuca passed away on May 8, 2025, in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina. Jonette was born on July 28, 1960, in Evanston, Illinois, to John and Thelma DeLuca. Jonette was the youngest of five sisters who grew up in a close-knit family in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, where family, laughter, gathering at the table, and music and dancing were at the heart of her childhood.

Jonette moved with her parents to Florida briefly, and then onto Blair, NE, in 1976. She attended and graduated from Blair High School in 1978, and then worked at Mid America Computer Corp.

In 1986 the DeLuca family opened the restaurant, Cafe on Main, where Jonette became an integral part of running the family business. She was the vibrant and beautiful face behind the counter, with her sister, Gina, at her side. Jonette found a true sense of home in Blair and spoke of her time there often as the years passed.

She eventually moved to North Carolina where she was involved in several entrepreneurial endeavors over the years. Later she personally cared for elders in her family, a perfect match for her big, fat compassionate heart. If ever a family member was in need, she showed up, eager and poised to help. At her core, she was a caregiver.

Jonette was a wild, spirited, and rebellious little spitfire with a sharp wit and a generous heart. Her laughter was loud, her mind quick, and her love fierce, especially for her animals, whom she often preferred over humans. She was the youngest sister, and the oldest soul. She was a bright light, a seeker, wise and complex, and a confidant to us all. Our family is overwhelmingly heartbroken by the loss of our little sister. She will be deeply missed, her memory etched in our hearts forever.

She is survived by her husband, Rick Timm of Blair, Nebraska; her stepdaughters Mirinda and Nerissa; her sisters, Debbie Jacobson and family (Broomfield, CO), Gina Kuhr and family (Charlotte, NC), and Dori DeLuca (Sherrills Ford, NC); her niece Leslie Bridges and family (Sherrills Ford, NC); her great-niece Nora Nelson (Sherrills Ford, NC); and her dear friend Terrell Baker (Sherrills Ford, NC).

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Thelma DeLuca; sister Vici Snyder; and niece Kristin Nelson.

A private service was held in Sherrills Ford, NC.

~~~from obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Public Library, Blair, Nebraska~~~

FindaGrave #282532220