1935
Joan
2017
Joan Carol Williams
November 24, 1935 — January 11, 2017
Joan Williams, a mother of six, a registered nurse and a world traveler, died Thursday in Bremerton after a long illness. She was 81.
Born Joan Carol Sawyer on Nov. 24, 1935, in Watertown, Mass., she grew up in the Boston area and moved to Rhode Island in her early teens. She graduated in 1954 from East Providence High School, where she met Paul V. Williams, Jr. They married on July 10, 1954, at Sacred Heart Church in Providence.
Paul enlisted in the Navy nuclear submarine program in 1955 and the family moved far and wide around the country, from Groton, Conn., to San Diego to Guam.
The Williams family moved to Port Orchard in 1973, and a year later Joan enrolled at Olympic College where she earned her nursing degree. In 1986, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Puget Sound.
Joan worked as a registered nurse at Kitsap and Pierce County medical facilities for 15 years, retiring in 2000, three years after Paul’s death. She moved to Silverdale in 2001 and lived in the Ridgetop area until suffering cardio-respiratory failure in October 2015, when she moved to Claremont East senior living center.
Joan and Paul had traveled together to Europe and Asia, and as a widow Joan continued to enjoy foreign adventures with her adult children. She also enjoyed reading, knitting and Mahjongg.
She was surrounded by her family in the last weeks of her life and passed swiftly but gently after a severe cold.
Joan is survived by her children: Carol (Ken Olsen) of Silverdale, Eva of Seattle, Pam Jennings (Doug) of Poulsbo, Mary O’Heir (John) of Dyer, Ind., Paul III (Keri) of Bremerton and Peter of Seattle. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, four great grandchildren and brothers Thomas Sawyer of Warwick, R.I., and Burton Fisher of Coventry, R.I.
Services will be at Rill Chapel, 1151 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard, Wednesday, 1/18/2017 at 1 p.m. Burial at Sunset Lane and a reception at Rill to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
Born Joan Carol Sawyer on Nov. 24, 1935, in Watertown, Mass., she grew up in the Boston area and moved to Rhode Island in her early teens. She graduated in 1954 from East Providence High School, where she met Paul V. Williams, Jr. They married on July 10, 1954, at Sacred Heart Church in Providence.
Paul enlisted in the Navy nuclear submarine program in 1955 and the family moved far and wide around the country, from Groton, Conn., to San Diego to Guam.
The Williams family moved to Port Orchard in 1973, and a year later Joan enrolled at Olympic College where she earned her nursing degree. In 1986, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Puget Sound.
Joan worked as a registered nurse at Kitsap and Pierce County medical facilities for 15 years, retiring in 2000, three years after Paul’s death. She moved to Silverdale in 2001 and lived in the Ridgetop area until suffering cardio-respiratory failure in October 2015, when she moved to Claremont East senior living center.
Joan and Paul had traveled together to Europe and Asia, and as a widow Joan continued to enjoy foreign adventures with her adult children. She also enjoyed reading, knitting and Mahjongg.
She was surrounded by her family in the last weeks of her life and passed swiftly but gently after a severe cold.
Joan is survived by her children: Carol (Ken Olsen) of Silverdale, Eva of Seattle, Pam Jennings (Doug) of Poulsbo, Mary O’Heir (John) of Dyer, Ind., Paul III (Keri) of Bremerton and Peter of Seattle. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, four great grandchildren and brothers Thomas Sawyer of Warwick, R.I., and Burton Fisher of Coventry, R.I.
Services will be at Rill Chapel, 1151 Mitchell Road, Port Orchard, Wednesday, 1/18/2017 at 1 p.m. Burial at Sunset Lane and a reception at Rill to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
To order memorial trees in memory of Joan Carol Williams, please visit our tree store.
Service Schedule
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Celebration of Life
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Starts at 1:00 pm (Pacific time)
Rill Chapel, Pendleton - Gilchrist Funeral Home
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