Jolynn Harding

It is with unending sadness that we share that JoLynn (Fallick) Harding passed away on Monday, June 29th, 2026. JoLynn’s passing leaves an immeasurable void in the lives of all that knew her. She leaves behind her children, Seth Powers and his wife Sharly-Ann and their daughter Ava; Evan Powers and his husband Nick; Darryl Harding and his wife Marylynn and their children, Dominic and Brielle; and Michelle Lano and her husband Greg. She also leaves behind the love of her life, David Harding, with whom she shared almost 23 years of marriage.

Born on January 11th, 1956, JoLynn filled this world with love, light, and a caring heart for 70 years, 5 months, and 18 days. While her time was far too short, she lived an inspiring and full life, making the world a brighter place for all the moments she walked it.

Born in Scranton, PA to late parents Sheldon “Sheik” Fallick and Ruth (Kaufman) Fallick, JoLynn went to school in Scranton and maintained friendships with some of her classmates throughout her lifetime. JoLynn would describe her childhood as a happy one filled with the wonderful celebrations that her mother would host, including immaculate birthday celebrations and loving, meticulously prepared Hanukkah nights and Passover seders. She was constantly surrounded by extended family members who all lived close by.

JoLynn held dear relationships with her parents and her beloved Aunt Esther. She and her mother would talk daily throughout both of their lives, with her mother serving as a loving confidant and guide in both challenging and joyous chapters of JoLynn’s life. Aunt Esther was JoLynn’s ultimate cheerleader, and JoLynn gleefully reciprocated that role. During their countless phone calls and visits, one could hear a chorus of “Woohoo!” as they encouraged and complimented one another. JoLynn lovingly served as the devoted caretaker for both her mother and her Aunt Esther through the ends of their lives. She made it her mission to be a fierce health advocate for both women, engaging in countless acts of loving care. JoLynn’s relationship with her father was one she would describe as being particularly magical, as they were the light of each other’s eyes. She would recall waking up at 5:00am to make sure she got to see him before he’d leave for work each day. She lovingly spoke of their special dad-daughter breakfast dates, a tradition carried on with Seth and Ava many years later.

JoLynn grew up in a family that prioritized education. She attended Boston University for undergraduate studies before attending Rutgers University, where she earned her Psy.D. to become a clinical psychologist. After starting her career in Maryland, she moved to Connecticut where she worked as a psychologist for over 30 years, both in private practice and then at the University of Connecticut’s Student Health and Wellness Center. As a therapist, she took great pride in helping her patients navigate some of the most complicated moments in their lives and emerge from therapy stronger and ready to tackle the challenges that life presented. Her patients benefited from her wisdom, thoughtfulness, deep sense of caring, and candor. In addition to building relationships with her patients, her professional relationships with her colleagues turned into true, genuine friendships which spanned decades.

One of her greatest joys was raising her children and watching them grow and start lives and families of their own. She was the ultimate mom, stepmother, mother-in-law, and Mema. Her children could ask for nothing more; she was unendingly generous with her love, support, and guidance. She took such joy in their accomplishments and made sure she was ever-present in their lives. She was there for all of the major life events, but also there are so many of the quiet ones—the Saturday afternoon visits, the impromptu lunch dates, the choral concerts, the sporting events, the late night and early morning calls, the spontaneous game of dress-up with a grandchild. She was a central part of the best that life had to offer, and her children will feel her loss in every single aspect of their lives.

After decades of establishing her bona fides as a mother, she was promoted to the role of Grandmother for Ava, Dominic, Brielle, and Ellie. This, her family came to realize, was a role she was born to play. The boundless love, energy, silliness, snuggles, guidance, encouragement, validation, and affirmations she bestowed upon her grandchildren was a gift second to none. While all of us will mourn her passing, it really is her grandchildren that were robbed of what should have been years and years of time with her—time during which they could love and know her as we have. Even so, despite their limited time together, the values and love that she imprinted upon her grandchildren will carry them through their lives and be ever-present in their souls. We know they will one day pass those values and that love on to their families.

An absolute shining light to all of us was the relationship that she had with her husband, David. JoLynn and David’s relationship was the kind that you usually only read about—one filled with infinite consideration, love, respect, adventure, and fun. More than anything, they just shared their lives as equal, loving partners; as JoLynn would often say, they were “simpatico.” For the last 25 years, David was fortunate enough to spend more time with JoLynn than anyone. They stayed by each other’s sides through life’s celebrations and heartaches, never wavering and always growing in their bond. For their children, JoLynn and David set an example for how to live well, how to love each other with reckless abandon, and how to celebrate one another every single day. They truly shared a love that was one of a kind, and we were all so fortunate to have had a chance to witness it.

To know JoLynn was to love her. JoLynn was open, communicative, and generous with her love in ways that we rarely get to experience in life. Her son-in-law described her as someone who “loved out loud,” and this was the perfect description. You always knew how much you meant to her, how much she relished in the achievements of those she was close with, and how much she truly and genuinely loved those around her.

Her delight was effusive and contagious, and her ability to brighten a room just by being in it was something special. JoLynn had a remarkable ability to go from just meeting someone to feeling like a lifelong friend in moments. There are countless stories of her being out with family or friends, stepping away for a moment, and coming back with the full life story of the waiter/hair stylist/driver/contractor/seatmate/etc. whom she had just met. This was one of the things that made her special—she was pure and genuine in spirit, and that was infectious. People saw it, they gravitated towards it, and it was the trait that made everyone, including those who had been strangers just moments prior, know that the interaction truly meant something. Something real.

Such interactions were innumerable, as was the impact they had in the lives of those whom she touched. JoLynn’s ability to see people and meet them where they are allowed total strangers to open up about their life story, often sharing some of the challenges that were most acute in their lives at that moment. JoLynn’s thoughtful listening and generosity in guidance made momentary encounters lifelong gifts for those lucky enough to be in her orbit.

JoLynn prioritized relationships. During her life, JoLynn would often talk with others about what they each believed the meaning of life to be. Of course, this ultimate cosmic mystery is something deeply personal for all of us, but JoLynn believed that the heart of life was the relationships we built, nurtured, and maintained, and she lived her life in service of that belief every day. In the weeks before her untimely passing, she, serendipitously, connected with so many of those that she holds dear. She used these opportunities to tell individuals how much she loved and valued them and, often, how proud she was of their life’s accomplishments. Importantly, JoLynn didn’t make these calls with any foreknowledge that her time was nearing an end, but rather just because that is who she was. She was someone that lived with purpose and loved openly and intentionally.

JoLynn was a firm believer in energy and the power that each person’s energy could have on the universe. This idea was ever-present in her positivity and encouragement, and in all the cosmically curious ways that energy would present itself during meaningful life moments. She frequently noted a long list of electricity-related anomalies including common occurrences of flickering lights, a random garage door opening, or a new text message on a long-dormant cell phone. She believed that these events were connecting us to those who had passed on, and that they were the little, but frequent, signs that there is more to this life than we collectively understand.

Consistent with her belief in universal energy and her lifetime of using her love and positivity for the betterment of those around her— strangers and family alike—we encourage those so inclined to fill your weeks with small but meaningful positive moments with others. JoLynn found deep meaning in the Jewish concept of Chai, meaning “life.” If we could all find space for just 2-3 small acts each day, our weeks could be filled with Chai. These acts can be small, whether they be calling a friend or loved one to check in, asking a shop worker how they are doing, or complimenting the person next to you in line. JoLynn naturally lived her life this way, and her absence from this world means that we all need to step in to fill the void. By creating a chain of kindness and connection, we can collectively work to fill this void. Filling with world with life. Filling with world with Chai.

JoLynn lived a life worth celebrating. As we all navigate the grief and sadness that comes with this loss, we invite friends and family to join us for a Celebration of Life on Thursday, July 30th in Connecticut at Farmington Gardens (999 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06032). The Celebration will include visiting hours from 11:00am until 2:00pm immediately followed by a service from 2:00pm until 3:00pm. An additional future service will be held in Sarasota, FL at a date and time to be determined. In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to two charities JoLynn greatly admired: Second Heart Homes (https://secondhearthomes.org) and Dorot (www.dorotusa.org).