Joan Ellison (“Mom” or “Nannie” to her family), 98, of Chandler, AZ, passed away on Monday, September 2, 2019. She was born in Everett, MA, but moved at the age of 25 to the Texas Panhandle in 1945 with her wartime newlywed husband, Curtis, raising their family of six children in Amarillo, TX. She was a founding member of St. Laurence parish, forming enduring and valued friendships over her years there. She began a career in teaching later in life, and spent many years teaching Reading and English as a second language at Alamo Catholic High School. Preserving the past was important to her, and she was heavily involved in the development of the Catholic Historical Society in Amarillo. Joan loved to travel, making trips to Canada, Mexico, Thailand and the Holy Land, to U.S. destinations to visit her kids, and to her native and beloved New England to visit her three sisters—Isabel (“Bunny”), Barbara and Martha. She was a talented seamstress, an avid reader and crossword puzzle enthusiast, and no Christmas or Thanksgiving was complete without one of her holiday pies.
Joan was predeceased by her husband in 1973, and her sons Joseph in 2013 and Michael in 2018. She is survived by her daughter Mary (Richard) Clemens, son Patrick (Virginia) Ellison, daughter Barbara Ellison with her lifelong partner Bill Fickinger, daughter Margaret (Michael) Iacangelo, and her sister Martha (John) Luther. Joan’s family is her legacy; she was blessed with 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and will also be remembered by many nieces and nephews.
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