Joan
Mary (Lovejoy) Coady, 91, of South Burlington, passed away peacefully
on July 28, 2025, with her daughters by her side.
Born
in Burlington, Vt., on May 22, 1934, Joan was the only daughter of
Robert F. Lovejoy and Olive (Goodhue) Lovejoy. Raised in a large,
loving family on Lakeview Terrace, she remained close and connected
to her five brothers throughout her life.
Joan
graduated from Cathedral High School in 1952 and immediately began
working at General Electric in Burlington. With her strong work
ethic, she was reliable, dedicated and respected by her peers and
employers, including those at Aetna, the Vermont Home Builders of
Northern Vermont, University Orthopedics and her favorite of all,
IBM, from which she retired in 1993. Graced with natural beauty, Joan
also modeled for a variety of clothing stores in her younger years.
She
married Jack Barry of Waterbury, Vt., in April of 1955. Married for
more than 20 years, their three daughters were the center of her
world. Joan later spent 32 years with her companion, Wendell Carr of
South Burlington.
Joan,
our beloved mother, cherished her time with her family, never missing
an opportunity to gather, even spontaneously. She reveled in each and
every family celebration throughout the year, usually entertaining us
with her humor and her hilarious dance moves! Known affectionately as
Mimi to her eight grandchildren and many of their friends, she played
a significant and meaningful role in their lives, and we just can’t
imagine the days ahead without her. Our mom never tired of telling us
how much she loved each and every one of us, and we couldn’t
possibly put into words the deep love we will always feel for her.
Our
mom was a lifelong Catholic, her faith an important facet of her
life. She was especially devoted and generous to organizations that
benefitted children and those with few resources.
Joan
is survived by her three daughters, Kathleen Marecek and her husband,
John; Maureen Post and her husband, Bill; and Bridget Barry Caswell
and her husband, Wright; her beloved grandchildren, Elisabeth Yagley,
Laura Smith, Matthew Yagley (Sherri), Jill Ravey Dolan (Patrick),
Carly Caswell, Jack Caswell, Hank Caswell and Grace Caswell; and her
eight great-grandchildren, Logan and McKenna Giacche; Abby Bennett;
Leos, Celeste, Noah and Skye Yagley; and Sylvie Dolan. In addition,
she leaves behind two brothers, Gerald Lovejoy and his wife, Sandy,
and Reginald Lovejoy and his wife, Fran; her sister-in-law Carole
Lovejoy, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Joan
was predeceased by her parents; by her brothers Robert, Michael and
Bernard Lovejoy; by her sister-in-law Patricia Lovejoy; and by her
longtime companion, Wendell Carr.
Per
Joan’s request, a private Mass of Christian Burial will be held at
the convenience of the family with interment to follow in
Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington.