Joan M. Whittaker

Joan Marie Whittaker, 95, formerly of Concord, NH, passed away on April 4, 2010 in Nashua, NH. She was born in Boston, MA, on November 18, 1914, and was the only child of Maura and Augusto Franceschini.

Joan graduated from Jackson College in 1935. She and her husband, Robert, were married in 1937 and enjoyed 58 years of marriage before his death in 1995. After living briefly in Keene, they moved to Concord, NH, in 1941 where he continued his dental practice and they raised four children. Joan lived in Concord for over 60 years prior to moving to the Courville Community of Nashua in 2002.

Joan leaves four children: Robert and his wife Katya of Millwood, NY; Christopher and his wife Joan of Amherst, NH; Deborah Vaughan and her husband Ned Brush of Weston, MA; and Martha and her husband Hans Dankers of Monroe, WA. Joan also leaves 9 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

In l975 the city of Concord honored her as the recipient of the Carl E. Nason Memorial Outstanding Service Award. She served as a member of the Concord School Board for nearly 12 years, and participated on the Board of Directors for many Concord organizations: the Concord Hospital, the Indian Head Bank of Concord, the YMCA, and the ABC (A Better Chance) Program. She was the first woman president of Concord’s United Way.

She was very active in the South Congregational Church, volunteering in the Sunday School program, women’s fellowship, and the choir. She also volunteered for the Junior Service League thrift shop and was a member of the Concord Hospital Associates, contributing in the Hospitality Shop there for over 50 years.

Joan was a supporter of Democratic candidates and National Public Radio. She was a lover of cats, an accomplished seamstress, and known for her homemade pies, cookies, and breads.

Her family wishes to express their gratitude to the staffs of Granite Ledges of Concord and Courville of Nashua for their loving care in the last 11 years of her life.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8 at South Congregational Church in Concord.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Concord Hospital Trust, 250 Pleasant Street Concord NH 03301 Phone (603) 225-2711 (http://giveto.concordhospital.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=183), to the South Congregational Church, UCC, 27 Pleasant Street, Concord, New Hampshire, (603)224-2521, (http://www.sochurch.org/)

, or to the Ocean Park Association, Ocean Park, ME 04063

http://www.oceanpark.org/home.htm

Arrangements are in the care of The Bennett Funeral Home of Concord.