Joan Mary Homokay

Joan W. Homokay, most recently of Whitman, MA, passed away suddenly, shortly after midnight on Friday, November 14. She is survived by her sister Margaret (Peggy) Wisell Waryas of Carmel, IN; daughter Julianne Homokay and son-in-law Ron Barnett of Crestline, CA; daughter Laura Homokay and grandson Eli Randolph of Whitman, MA; and extended family.

Joan hails from Bellows Falls, VT. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Music from the University of New Hampshire, she set off on a lifetime adventure with her late, beloved husband Jules that took them to live in Chicago, IL; Binghamton, NY; Simsbury, CT; Winston-Salem, NC; Washington, DC; and Leesburg, FL. Their recreational travels took them all across the United states including Hawaii and Alaska, and Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Caribbean. She continued her travels into her twilight years, most notably on a cross-country tour of the National Parks with her best friend from high school, the late Phyllis Paolucci-Whitcomb, and a tour of Ireland with her sister Peggy.

Throughout the many moves during her life with her husband, Joan was a consummate homemaker who settled any new house quickly, comfortably, and immaculately. She adored time with her daughters, and later her grandson, whom she took care of when he was a baby for over a year. She especially looked forward to her annual reunions with her mother and sisters. In addition to homemaking, she enjoyed a successful latter-day career in education administration, eventually retiring from the Assistant Registrar position at Salem College in Winston-Salem.

Joan was a talented pianist and lifelong musician who funneled her passion into Sweet Adelines International, the barbershop organization for women. She directed choruses and won many regional quartet competitions that afforded her the opportunity to compete internationally. Also through this organization, she thrived in her talent for making and maintaining lifelong friendships.

Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018. She was able to remain with her daughters, alternately in Massachusetts and California, until two years ago when she enrolled at Windrose at Weymouth, where she received competent and loving memory care. Throughout, she managed to remain active and bore her disease with a sense of humor. A memorial Mass in her honor will be held at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Whitman on Saturday, November 29 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.