She is survived by her husband, Gorham “Jerry” Cross, her children and their spouses, John Cross (Peggy), Jennifer Peterson (Curt), and Heather Woodworth (Charlie), her grandchildren, Ted and Charlie Cross, Heather and Erik Peterson, and Emily and Henry Woodworth, her great granddaughter, Olivia Cross, and her brother, John Felton. She was predeceased by her brother Frederic L. Felton, Jr. Joan grew up in Wellesley in the same neighborhood as her future husband. Joan and Jerry met when they were teenagers, and remained a devoted couple throughout high school, college and 68 years of marriage. They spent many happy years in Vermont, Boca Grande, Florida, and Woods Hole. Joan was a “real go getter,” a term she used to describe similarly energetic women, who could not abide idleness in herself or her children.
Her morning greeting demanded, “What have you done for the good of the nation?”
She was a longtime member of the Wellesley Country Club and the Woods Hole Golf Club, where she was an avid golfer and competitive tennis player. She had a lifelong interest in art, archaeology, and culture which she explored as she traveled the world with Jerry and many of their close friends. Joan had a strong interest in education, particularly for girls and women, which she supported through her charity work. She was a loyal alum of her schools, Tenacre Country Day School and Smith College, but particularly of Dana Hall School, where she was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dana Hall School, 45 Dana Road, P.O. Box 9010, Wellesley MA 02482. Due to Covid 19, no services are planned at this time.
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