Joan C. Horton

Joan was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on April 10, 1931, the daughter of Seymour W. Crane and Lillian Fox Crane. She lived most of her adult life in Glastonbury.

She is survived by a daughter, Diane H. Teigiser (John) of Boyds, MD; sons Kenneth W. Horton, Jr. (Eileen Bartley) of Bloomfield and Jeffrey C. Horton (Neil Pandora) of Branford; and granddaughters Kelly Horton (Eric Wilbur) of Denver, Colorado and Brittany Horton of Burbank, California. She is also survived by son-in-law John L. Fortin of Newington. She was pre-deceased by her husband of 52 years, Kenneth W. Horton, Sr., her daughter Jennifer H. Fortin, and her brother, William S. Crane.

Joan was a woman of many talents. Like many women of her generation, she was a devoted stay at home mother. She was also ahead of her time. With the support of her husband, she built a thriving home business making and selling seasonal door decorations that became a favorite at both the Old Cider Mill in Glastonbury and Sturbridge Yankee Workshop.

Once her children were in school, Joan pursued her long held academic ambitions. She enrolled at the University of Connecticut, where she earned a B.A. and M.S.W. For many years she worked as a medical technologist at Hartford Hospital and later as a social worker.

Storytelling was her lifelong delight. Her children remember the laugh out loud poems and silly tales she created to keep them entertained on long car rides to Cape Cod. Joan found a community that nurtured her creative spark: her writing group. Their encouragement, friendship, and shared love of language played a meaningful role in her development as an author and helped her bring her imaginative voice to a wider audience. At age 68, Halloween Hoots and Howls, her first children’s book and a celebration of her favorite holiday, was published. Four additional books followed—Hippopotamus Stew, I Brought My Rat for Show and Tell, Math Attack, and Working Mummies. Her work also appears in the anthology Miles of Smiles: Kids Pick the Funniest Poems.

Her writing received enthusiastic praise. Publisher’s Weekly noted that “Horton excels at rhyming silliness,” while Children’s Literature celebrated her “clever and whimsical language,” calling her books “a pleasure to read aloud.”

The family extends its heartfelt thanks to the many people who provided Joan with warm, compassionate care throughout her later years, especially the wonderful staff at Cedar Mountain Commons and Jefferson House. Their kindness and dedication brought comfort to Joan and to all who loved her.

Funeral services for Joan will be held privately. The D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford, has been entrusted with the care of the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Welles-Turner Memorial Library, 2407 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033 are appreciated. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopoeh.com