December 12, 1930 – August 9, 2020
Joan Morgan Arsenault, age 89 of North Palm Beach passed peacefully August 9, 2020 at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. Joan was born in Queens Village, New York to Bert and Helen Morgan. She grew up in a busy household with her older brother, Bernie and younger brother, Richard where Catholic devotion, arts and education were the norm. Her father, Bert Morgan, was a well-known society photographer in the Hamptons and Palm Beach and the official photographer for the New York Racing Association. The family moved to Jamaica, NY in 1936.
Joan was very intelligent, graduating first in her class at Immaculate Conception School in Jamaica. She then received a full high school scholarship to The Mary Louis Academy (TMLA) from which she also graduated first in her class. At TMLA, she showed strong leadership abilities as captain of the basketball team and president of her class. These special attributes were demonstrated daily in her management of her large family and then in 1970 when she began a 25-year career as a member of the housekeeping department of The Breakers in Palm Beach Fl. There she was also responsible for the processing of payroll and inventory at a time without computers.
In 1951, she married George Arsenault at Immaculate Conception Church in Jamaica, NY where they had met a few years earlier at a dance. George served in the US Navy as a petty officer during WWII and the Korean War. Later he worked as a jeweler and photographer for her father at the Bert and Richard Morgan Studio. He died in 1999. They had nine children. Their first three children were born in Jamaica, NY, and they moved from New York to the Northwood Hills of West Palm Beach in 1957. There she would bear and raise the rest of her nine children.
As their family grew, so did their house, with bedrooms added to accommodate the growing children. She was known for cooking, cleaning and reading homework. Always attending and cheering loudly at the children’s and then grandchildren’s sporting events, she was the visible testimony to how much she cared and loved them. Grandma Arsenault was known as the number one fan at Cardinal Newman High School (CNHS) for a variety of sports. She attended so many sporting events over the years that a special monument was dedicated to her faithfulness at the CNHS softball complex. She emphasized education and with the help of her parents and older children saw her children through Cardinal Newman High School and most of her children graduate from colleges such as UF, FSU, PBJC, UGA, UNLV, Florida Atlantic and Georgia State. She never played favorites among the rivalries during football season. She was a faithful member of St. John Fisher and St. Clare Catholic Churches throughout the years.
In 1972, she received the “Mother of the Year” award from McDonald’s which allowed her the opportunity for a grocery shopping spree. Joan staked out the grocery store, and ultimately filled three carts in 3 minutes. This same competitive spirit lives on in each of her children and grandchildren. A few favorite pastimes for the entire family will always be the sacred Thanksgiving celebrations with Mom/Grandma circling all in attendance (average 25) to join hands as she led the prayer of thanks for our ever-loving family. Grandchildren, of all ages, loved the Christmas Eve wrapping paper fights, Easter Egg hunts, playing Scrabble and Skip-Bo and completing jigsaw puzzles. Traditions that will live on in memories of love and fun for all those she touched.
Surviving are her nine children, 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The children and grandchildren are: William Arsenault, Daytona Beach, FL, (Brett Arsenault, Cara Arsenault Govier [Jason]); Mimi Arsenault, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, (Jimmy Watson [Hannah], Julie Watson); Gerry Arsenault [Nancy], North Palm Beach, FL, (Lisa Arsenault Commander [Bo], Leslie Arsenault Metz [Mike], Paul Arsenault); Gavin Arsenault [Lorna], Statesville, NC, (Hannah Arsenault Bowen [Austin], Ty Arsenault); Blane Arsenault [Angela], West Palm Beach, FL, (Katie Arsenault, Kevin Arsenault); Gina Arsenault Mintzer, Lake George, NY, (Morgan Mintzer); George Arsenault [Marie], Indiantown, FL, (Georgie Ann Arsenault, Jayda Arsenault, Jamie Arsenault); Joanie Arsenault Szorosy [Gary], Tequesta, FL, (Tyler Szorosy, Jenna Szorosy, Lilly Szorosy); Tina Arsenault, Nassau, Bahamas; five great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by sisters-in-law: Janet Morgan, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and Jeanette Arsenault Winant, Hudson, NY. Joan was predeceased by her parents Bert and Helen, brother Richard, husband George and son-in-law Dave Mintzer.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held for family members at St. Clare Church followed by a burial at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations to Cardinal Newman High School, 512 Spencer Dr. West Palm Beach FL 33409 and/or St. Clare Catholic Church, 821 Prosperity Farms Rd., North Palm Beach, FL 33408.
