Joan Williamson

Joan (Thomas) Williamson, 82, recently of Deering, NH and formerly a 33 year resident of Bedford, NH, passed away on March 4, 2017 surrounded by her loving family after a well-fought battle with cancer.

She was born in Brooklyn, NY on February 12, 1935, the daughter of Francis and Cecelia Thomas. She grew up in West Hempstead, NY. She graduated from SUNY at Potsdam where she met the love of her life, the late Donald L. Williamson to whom she was married for 42 years before his passing in 2001. Together they raised, with all-inspiring love, their seven children, Terese (Jon) Rheault of Deering, NH, Robert (Ann) Williamson, of Concord, NH, Donald (Suzanne) Williamson of Portland, ME, Patricia (Andrew) Bonenfant of Tuftonboro, NH, Michael (Susan) Williamson of Manchester, NH, Stephen (Ann Hartigan) Williamson of Rye, NH and Thomas (Jen) Williamson of Freeport, ME. She also leaves 20 beloved grandchildren, her sisters, Cecile Hahnl, Rosemary Pryzybicien, Barbara Werschler, and Mary Alice Jenkins and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She will also be missed by her faithful Aussie dog, Dazee.

She was a teacher at St. Joseph's Regional Junior High School in Manchester, NH until her retirement in 1995. She also played the cello in the NH Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. The job she was most proud of was being a mother and grandmother, spending a lot of her life rink side or field side cheering on her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed spending spring, summer and fall at her home on Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham, the family gathering spot, where she could expect a crowd every weekend. She was smart and witty, loved books and music and was quite tech-savvy for an 82 year old woman, although her text messages sometimes required translation. She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.

Arrangements: Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the St. Raphael Church, 103 Walker St., Manchester, on Friday, March 10 at 11:00A.M. followed by Committal Service in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel, 474 Goffstown Rd., Manchester. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Joan's memory to Catholic Charities, 215 Myrtle Street, Manchester, NH 03104-4354.