Joan Fillot

Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, she graduated from Fontbonne Hall in her home borough and received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Fordham University, the Bronx.

After studying at Paris-Sorbonne University, she returned to Dongan Hills in 1967.

During her career, Ms. Fillot was a dedicated teacher of the arts and languages. She taught at many schools, including Notre Dame Academy, Grymes Hill, where she taught French.

Ms. Fillot was a voracious reader who enjoyed a wide array of genres. She loved cooking and was a devotee of fine cuisine from around the world.

She played piano as a girl and had a deep appreciation of all music from American blues to Italian opera and especially the songs of Edith Piaf.

"Aunt Joan had a kind heart and was loving and generous," remembers one of her devoted nieces and nephews. "She was a woman of stunning wit and intellect."

She is survived by her two sisters, Marguerite C. Hunt and Alexandrine F. Cioffi.

Arrangements, including cremation, were handled by the Virginia Funeral Chapel, Dongan Hills.