Joan Chapin Connor

Obituary

Joan Chapin Connor, age 80, passed away peacefully on April 25, 2024 while in hospice. She is survived by her beloved companion of 25 years, Edward Fee of Tavares, FL; two sons Joseph Connor of San Diego, CA and Christopher Connor, and his partner Jennifer Schultz of Holyoke, MA; brother Terry Chapin and his wife Jill of Santa Monica, CA; and countless friends and extended family who loved her dearly and will miss her greatly.

Born in Hartford, CT to the late Douglass and Eleanor Chapin, Joan graduated from Conard High School in West Hartford and Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. She was married to the late Joseph Patrick Connor III in 1967 until his passing in 1999. They lived in West Hartford and were summer residents of Groton Long Point, CT, before moving to Longwood, FL in 1992. Joan worked in various positions including as an administrative assistant, library assistant, and tennis instructor, and affectionately referred to herself as “Joan the job hopper”. She was an avid tennis player and loved to travel, especially enjoying her yearly summer trip to New England to spend time with her dear friends and family.

For all those that had the pleasure of knowing her, Joan provided kindness, grace, and unending smiles. She loved to laugh and she loved to listen, whether on long walks with family and friends or to strangers she befriended in a checkout line. That is how she will be remembered, as someone who loved life and embodied the words in the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: For it is in the giving that we receive.

While we greatly appreciate flowers, please kindly consider donating to the Vitas Healthcare of Central Florida, who Joan volunteered with for 18 years, at https://vitascommunityconnection.org/

A funeral Mass for Joan will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 24, 2024 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. A reception will follow at the Oak Harbour clubhouse. An additional service will be held at 10 a.m. on May 30, 2024 at Saint Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT with burial to follow at Fairview Cemetery.