On May 4, 2018, Joanne McManus Caverly, a long time Salem resident, died peacefully at home in the Brightview Assisted Living facility surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Lynn on April 27, 1929, the daughter of the late Edward and Helen (Griffin) Burke. She called herself a "depression baby" as if to explain her lifelong habit of frugality. After graduating from Lynn English High School in 1946 she attended Pierce Secretarial School in Boston. Prior to her marriage to the late Charles McManus, former owner of the Salem Commercial School, she was employed as a legal secretary. She was a wizard at the art of shorthand. She worked for nearly two decades at the Shaughnessy-Kaplan hospital, as a valued member of the administrative team, aiding the building committee, the medical staff, the board of trustees, as an assistant to the director, retiring in 1990.

In 1990 she married life-long friend, Dr. William Caverly. The couple lived in Andover, then on Canobie Lake in Windham, New Hampshire, where they hosted frequent family parties for holidays and birthdays, until Dr. Caverly's untimely death in the year of 2000.
Born with a green thumb, Joanne was long-time member of the Salem Garden Club, the Windham Garden Club, and the Gloucester Garden Club. She was an active member of Salem's Women's Friends Society; she enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening, and entertaining friends and family, earning her the nickname Martha.

Joanne had many life-long friends, but nothing brought her more comfort and happiness than the company of her family. She is survived by her children: Charles McManus Jr. and his wife Dorene, of Gloucester, Michael McManus and his wife Tina, of Beverly, Pamela McManus of Salem, and Wendy Pelletier Blake and her husband Douglas, of Salem, and her four grandchildren: Andrew Pelletier, Julia Pelletier, Sophia Blake, and Patrick McManus: her brother Charles Burke and his wife Mary of Middleton, and a sister-in-law Jean Burke of Lynnfield. She was predeceased by her brothers, Edward Burke of Huntington, Long Island, and John V. Burke of Lynnfield.

Visiting hours for Joanne will take place on Tuesday May 8, 2018 from 4 to 8PM at the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St. (corner of North St.) Salem, MA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday May 9, 2018 at 11AM at the Immaculate Conception Church, 15 Hawthorne Blvd., Salem, MA. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, 57 Orne St., Salem, MA. Donations in Joanne's memory can be made to: Friends of Greenlawn, P.O. Box 1001, Salem, MA 01970. For additional information or online guestbook please visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com or call 978-744-0497.