Joan Elizabeth Hanley

Joan was born in Schenectady, New York on December 23,1942, to Thomas Arnold Nangle and Ruth Eunice Nangle (Finnegan). Thomas Nangle was raised in Rochester, New Hampshire, in a family of four. Ruth Finnegan was born in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and grew up in a family of seven.

Joan is survived by her daughter, Kelley Pritchard, her son, Joseph Hanley; her daughter in law, Stacy Hanley; and her five dearly loved grandchildren: Colin Hanley, Miles Hanley, Liza Hanley, AJ Pritchard, and Austin Pritchard. She is also survived by her brother James Nangle of Bowie, Maryland; his wife, Kay, their children, Jill Comeaux and David Nangle; and their grandchildren. Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved daughter, Kristin Marie Hanley.

Joan lived with Alzheimer’s disease during the last eight years of her life, but she never lost the love and devotion of those around her. She lived a full and meaningful life defined by her faith, compassion, and dedication to others.

Growing up in Schenectady, Joan enjoyed helping her mother around the house, ice skating in the winters, and playing middle school sports like volleyball. She excelled academically and was well known for her good sense of humor and quick wit.

In the summer of 1957, Joan and her family moved to Buffalo, New York, where they lived on Grimsby Road. Joan graduated from Kenmore West High School in 1960. She went on to attend The Sisters of Charity Hospital School of Nursing in Buffalo. Joan graduated and received her 3-year nursing degree on June 16th,1963 and officially obtained her registered nursing license from the state of New York on August 16,1963, at just 20 years old! Joan was extremely proud to be a registered nurse and practiced her trade throughout her life. After finishing nursing school, she started her career working at Sisters Hospital in Buffalo. Joan was a natural in her profession. Outside of nursing, Joan liked spending time with her friends, going to the beach, and listening to music (Elvis Fan!). Her trips to Crystal Beach on the Canadian shore led her to meet her future husband in Joseph Charles Hanley of Buffalo. They met in the summer of 1965, fell in love, and were happily married on May 6th, 1967.

After the birth of Kelley in 1968 and Joseph in 1970, the family made the difficult decision to leave Buffalo. Over the course of the next decade, the family mastered the art of moving and making new friends. The family moved five times due to career advancements. Buffalo, NY to Stowe, Ohio (1970), Rochester, Michigan (1973), Anaheim Hills, CA (1975), Tulsa, Oklahoma (1978), and Hudson, Ohio (1980). In these years, Joan continued her nursing career, working in the emergency and operating rooms at Pontiac General Hospital in Detroit, Michigan; Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Orange County, California; and Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After settling in Hudson, Joan and Joe welcomed their third child, Kristin Marie Hanley, in December of 1981. Joan cherished being a mother. She spent her time in Ohio raising her three children and enjoying her life before the final family move to Atlanta, Georgia in 1985.

In Atlanta, Joan became a leading operating room nurse at Northside Hospital specializing in neurosurgery and neurological procedures. She also maintained her commitment to lifelong learning, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree from The College of Saint Francis in Joliet, Illinois, in 1994. During these years, Joan embraced staying active and athletics. A proud Buffalonian, she remained a devoted Bills fan. Joan and Joe were fond of snow skiing, tennis, golf, and playing cards, as these were great ways to connect with others. Joan treasured the friendships she made, especially in her Buffalo and Horseshoe Bend friend groups.

Following her retirement from Northside Hospital in 2003, Joan focused on being a grandmother. Nothing gave her greater joy than spending time with her five grandchildren, whose lives were among her greatest blessings. She absolutely loved making memories with her friends and family in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Ellicottville, New York.

Joan was extremely proud of her Irish heritage (Finnegan) and Catholic faith. She was a member of Saint Andrews Catholic Church in Atlanta, where she sang in the choir for many years. One of her greatest joys was traveling to Ireland and the Vatican alongside her daughter, Kelley.

In her later years, Joan made her home in Atlanta and The Villages, Florida. She was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, aunt, and friend. The highlights of her life were her forty-four wonderful years of marriage, her three children, and her five grandchildren.

By marriage, Joan adored being a sister-in-law to Pat Hughes and an aunt to Mike Hughes, Patty Hughes, and Kathy Chubb. Joan will always be treasured and remembered for her caring spirit and love for her family. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, strength, faith, and service that will continue to inspire all who knew her.

Her favorite Irish blessing will serve as a final blessing to Joan:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm on your face;

the rains fall soft upon the fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the Palm of His hand