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302-478-7100 Wilmington & Hockessin, DE

Joan Desmond

Joan Russell Haubrich Desmond passed away on April 3, 2022 at age 102. She was born in 1920, the third child of Emma & Wilbur Russell in Newton, MA. Upon graduating from Colby Jr. College, as a medical secretary in 1941, she went to work for Dr. Bernard P. Haubrich in Claremont, NH. Later in 1941, she married Dr. Haubrich. They had four children, Jacqueline, Rockwell, Jeffrey and Ben. Widowed in 1960, she remained in Claremont until 1981, where she worked as a Welcome Wagon Hostess for 20 years. In 1981, Joan married Frank Desmond. They moved to Wilmington, DE via Bristol, RI.  Frank, passed away in 2010, Joan most recently lived at Stonegates Retirement Community in Greenville, DE.

During her long life, Joan enjoyed a very active lifestyle, including golf, skiing, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, bowling, sailing, biking and travelling. At 92, she kayaked the Brandywine River.  Joan volunteered for: The Scouts, Claremont General Hospital (trustee), Colby Sawyer College, Claremont Congregational Church (trustee), Dupont Children’s Hospital, and the LPGA Gold Tournament. She was a member of Lake Sunapee Yacht Club, & DuPont Country Club.

Joan was predeceased by her daughter Jacqueline, both her husbands, her sister Betty, and brother W.H. Russell Jr.

In addition to her three sons, she leaves behind daughters-in-law Susan (Jeff) & Robin (Ben), grand-daughters Erika (Arjun) and Heather (Mike), great grand-daughter, Isabel, niece Patricia, nephew Peter, and many friends.

Not wanting to miss the event, Joan organized and hosted her Celebration of Life at Stonegates in 2012. She will be interred at Mt. View Cemetery in Claremont, NH.

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Funeral Services

Not wanting to miss the event, Joan organized and hosted her Celebration of Life at Stonegates in 2012. She will be interred at Mt. View Cemetery in Claremont, NH.

Condolences

    Henry Bayer writes,
    Rocky, Jeff, and Ben I have very fond memories of your mom who was always so lively, gracious and hospitable. Although. I hadn’t seen her in fifty years, I gather from her obituary that she continued to live life to the fullest enjoying the outdoors, sports, service to her community, and most of all her family. May her memory be a blessing to all of you. Henry Bayer
    04/17/2022 07:09 am
    Edward Evensen writes,
    To Ben, Jeff and Rocky: please accept my deepest condolences for the loss of your mother! It's always a shock when someone passes whom you remember from many years ago. She was always so welcoming to all of your childhood friends! Every time I drive by the "old house", I remember the many hours I spent there, and the good times we had sledding down the hill toward the road among all our other activities.
    05/01/2022 05:36 pm

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