From childhood to young adulthood, Aunt Joan, Uncle Don and all the cousins made the annual trip to our house for Thanksgiving.  The holiday was filled with laughing, NY bagels, danish and crumbcakes,  putting on shows for the parents full of "singing" ..(Buttercup was a personal favorite), elaborate plans for Black Friday shopping at the crack of dawn (OMG... Aunt Joan had to get Furbys), threats of death from Uncle Don if you stood in front of the TV and 10# of mashed potatoes (Robbie ate 3#).  The long weekend was always magical when we got together.  As soon as the NY crowd headed home, we started looking forward to a summer trip to Long Island to swim everyday and see what new words Aunt Joan had taught her Huskys.  Aunt Joan and her brother, my Dad, Walter Marsh Jr. loved each other and their families beyond measure!!  I miss the sound of their laughter, the dancing at family reunions and the best hugs in the world!!  It is ok to cry at the end of a chapter, because it means the chapter was so good that you didn't want it to end!!  Let's continue to write this book all together in honor of the memories of those who started the story for us!!
Prayers to you all!!
Frannie

My favorite memory of Joan or Mrs. B as we kids call her at the time, was that she was that mom on the block who let all the kids come over and swim in the pool, play in the yard or build a fort.  She made everyone feel welcomed and loved.  A few years ago I was able to spend time with her when I made an unexpected visit to Terri who was busy on a conference call. So we sat and caught up laughed and brought up some old memories.  Not only did she look exactly the same as I remembered her but she was her sweet happy self….she will be missed!

My favorite memory of Joan or Mrs. B as we kids call her at the time, was that she was that mom on the block who let all the kids come over and swim in the pool, play in the yard or build a fort.  She made everyone feel welcomed and loved.  A few years ago I was able to spend time with her when I made an unexpected visit to Terri who was busy on a conference call. So we sat and caught up, laughed and brought up some old memories.  Not only did she look exactly the same as I remembered her but she was her sweet happy self….she will be missed!

I remember Aunt Joan from our family reunion when I was 12. It was a big party, and there were so many new faces that I felt overwhelmed (and very shy). I remember her having an extremely warm and calming presence, someone who made you feel better even if you were just sitting together.  When all the men in the family got up and sang some drunken karaoke, she was calm, happy, and glowing with pride.  I’ll always remember her face from that moment. 

One of my favorite memories was visiting Aunt Joan, Uncle Don, and family for a weekend in New York back in October 2014. I was so excited to see NYC! Little did I know we would go right from the airport to their house and stay inside the entire weekend. :) It ended up being some of the best few days of my life. We shared great stories, lots of laughs, learned more about my family’s history, visited with lovely relatives, snuggled with the huskies, and had a truly wonderful, memorable time. No trip to NY will ever be the same, and I cherish it always. This is my favorite photo of Aunt Joan from that weekend.  ❤️❤️❤️

Joan was fifteen years older than me and helped me navigate a fork in the road that led to me getting a better education. She was the first adult to help me out that way. On the day I learned to whistle, Joan challenged me to learn ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’, a song that requires sustained whistling. I learned to whistle while breathing in and out, so I could whistle that song for her. On my eighth birthday, I wanted a baseball glove more than anything, and the last gift I opened that day was a baseball mitt from Joan and Don. I remember the anticipation and joy I felt waiting for Joan and her family to visit, waiting for the party to start. I remember cleaning up after family meals. I washed and she dried while we caught up with what was going on in our lives. Joan and Don showed up at my school plays, and filmed or took photos of most of them. When Ma mistakenly gave me Calamine Lotion instead of cough medicine, Joan and Don came over and drove me to the emergency room. When I fell in the mud at a construction site on my way home from school, I ruined my school uniform. I did not want to go home to face the music, so I sat on a wall at the end of the block. Joan came over to me, calmed me down, convinced me to go home, and walked me down the block with her hand over my shoulder. 
No matter how much time passed, when I called Joan we picked up right where we left off. Our conversations always included a lot of laughter. We shared memories of growing up with the same parents who were strikingly different for her than they were for me. We shared stories of growing older, feeling the pain of the beginnings of our bodies failing us. We always laughed through the pain and reminded each other of the good things in life. I will always remember her laughter.
She never made me feel bad about my beliefs or lifestyle choices. I am her quirky little brother. She was my loving older sister. She seemed to be okay with that.
And so was I.

Aunt Joan you were always encouraging and supportive to everyone.  You will be missed

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Beloved wife of Donald. Loving Mother of Steven (Lisa), Teresa, Robert (Kasey), Donald Jr. (Cindy) and Tim (Laurie). Loving grandmother of Kerri, Michael, Connor, Kevin, Karyn, Raymond, Christopher, Margaret, Robert, Daniel, Andrew, Donald lll, Paul, Sabrina, Timothy and Sarah.

OBITUARY

Joan M. Buhrmeister

8 August, 1935 – 13 May, 2022

Claude R. Boyd - Caratozzolo Funeral Home

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