Joan Marie Zeitlinger Fernandez was born on December 14, 1933, in Hudson, New Jersey, and passed peacefully in her sleep in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 12, 2026.

She graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and later attended the University of Florida. While at UF, she discovered her gift for shorthand reporting. That talent led her to transcribe high-level university meetings, and from that point forward—like a fully loaded freight train—her professional career was set firmly in motion.

Joan founded Executive Reporters in the late 1960s and never looked back, boldly going where few women had gone before. Over the course of her career, she truly “heard it all” and was privileged to work alongside many of Jacksonville’s finest attorneys and judges. She loved her work and the people she served.

She was preceded in death by her husband, The Honorable Ellis T. Fernandez, Jr., and her son, Ellis T. “Quin” Fernandez, III.

She is survived by her son, Edward (Edwina) and daughter,Elise Cashman (Frank). She also leaves behind her grandchildren: Elizabeth Fernandez (Michael Middlebrooks), Eddy Fernandez (Jeyssa), Matthew Fernandez (Brittany Burnett), Ben Cashman (Summer), and Quin’s children, Rylan, Hudson, and Tarq, along with their mother. Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren, Emilia and Sophia, daughters of Eddy and Jeyssa.

She is also survived by many relatives in Spain and countless friends who, over the years, affectionately called her “Mom.”

If you were hungry, she would feed you. If you needed rest, her door was always open. She was generous beyond measure—except on the golf course. She brought sweet Southern hospitality everywhere she went, always with snacks and sweet tea, but you still had to make every putt.

She loved the game of golf, especially in the cool mountain air of Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Even more than the game itself, she cherished the friendships built along the way—friendships too numerous to name, but deeply appreciated and never forgotten.

We were fortunate that our friends became her friends, and in many ways, family. If you knew her, you know that capturing all the wonderful qualities of her life would take far more than words can hold.

She was generous, loving, and truly one of a kind—the very best of the best—and she will always be missed.

So here’s to you, Mom. Thank you for all the love and the lifetime of experiences you so graciously shared with us. We love you.

Memorial Service, Friday, April 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in Quinn Shalz  Funeral Home, 3600 3rd Street South, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250