Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
August 24, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM Thursday, August 29, 2013 at Christ Episcopal Church, 400 Ramapo Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Paterson.
Joan M. Conklin (nee Schwab), age 72 of Wayne, died on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Joan was raised in Paterson and attended elementary school at St. Boniface. She graduated high school from St. Mary’s with the class of 1959. During her early career she was a bank teller before joining Olin-Hunt as a travel manager where she worked for many years. She retired five years ago from Alfred Sanzari Enterprises in Hackensack, where she had been an office manager.
Joan moved to Wayne thirty five years ago where she raised her children. Raising four kids on her own presented some challenges, but Joan was still able to make time for her bowling leagues. She bowled in Oakland and Wallington for many years. Joan was also an avid gardener and long-time member of the Riverview Garden Club in Wayne. In fact, when she was just a child, her mother was given a beautiful canna plant as a gift. Over the years, they cared for that plant together and when Joan moved to Wayne, her mother gave it to her for her own garden. Over the years, Joan’s divided the plant, giving off-shoots to each of her children who now have them growing, and thriving, in their own gardens. Those plants will now serve as an ever-present reminder of their mother’s love and caring towards each of them, and to future generations of their family as well.
Joan loved to cook and bake. Thanksgiving was her big holiday to entertain and wow, could she cook a feast! With no less than 35 or so people around her table, they had to convert the living room into a dining room just to fit everyone. She absolutely loved it and looked forward to cooking for all of them each year. You never left her house hungry on Thanksgiving, that’s for sure.
Summer vacations to the Jersey Shore with her grandchildren, was high on Joan’s list of favorite things. Spending time with them all on Long Beach Island made her the happiest grandma ever. Of course, no trip to LBI would be complete for Joan without making a few purchases from Country Kettle Fudge! She loved that place. Her whole family has great memories of their summer vacations to LBI with Joan.
Christ Episcopal Church in Pompton Lakes was Joan’s spiritual home. She attended services there since the 1970’s, nourishing her soul every Sunday. It is only fitting that her funeral service will be held there, a place where she and her family have found so much comfort.
Joan is survived by her four children; Cheryl Giannetti of West Caldwell, Kathleen Shepard and her husband Michael of Wyckoff, Melinda (Mindy) Watts and her husband Robert of Lake Hopatcong, and William (Billy) Conkin and his wife Stephanie of Wayne, ten grandchildren; Amanda, Kirsten, Emily and Mikayla Shepard of Wyckoff, Katelyn, Ryan and Riley Watts of Lake Hopatcong, and Andrew, Kyle and Hailey Conklin of Wayne, and one brother; Donald Schwab and his wife Helga of Houston, Texas. She was predeceased by her brother Joseph Schwab of Totowa in 1993.
Those wishing to make a donation in Joan’s memory are asked to consider The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, NY NY 10163-4777 or visit www.michaeljfox.org.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM Thursday, August 29, 2013 at Christ Episcopal Church, 400 Ramapo Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Paterson.
August 24, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, August 28, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM.
A Funeral Service will be held at 11 AM Thursday, August 29, 2013 at Christ Episcopal Church, 400 Ramapo Ave., Pompton Lakes, NJ. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Paterson.
Joan M. Conklin (nee Schwab), age 72 of Wayne, died on Saturday, August 24, 2013.
Joan was raised in Paterson and attended elementary school at St. Boniface. She graduated high school from St. Mary’s with the class of 1959. During her early career she was a bank teller before joining Olin-Hunt as a travel manager where she worked for many years. She retired five years ago from Alfred Sanzari Enterprises in Hackensack, where she had been an office manager.
Joan moved to Wayne thirty five years ago where she raised her children. Raising four kids on her own presented some challenges, but Joan was still able to make time for her bowling leagues. She bowled in Oakland and Wallington for many years. Joan was also an avid gardener and long-time member of the Riverview Garden Club in Wayne. In fact, when she was just a child, her mother was given a beautiful canna plant as a gift. Over the years, they cared for that plant together and when Joan moved to Wayne, her mother gave it to her for her own garden. Over the years, Joan’s divided the plant, giving off-shoots to each of her children who now have them growing, and thriving, in their own gardens. Those plants will now serve as an ever-present reminder of their mother’s love and caring towards each of them, and to future generations of their family as well.
Joan loved to cook and bake. Thanksgiving was her big holiday to entertain and wow, could she cook a feast! With no less than 35 or so people around her table, they had to convert the living room into a dining room just to fit everyone. She absolutely loved it and looked forward to cooking for all of them each year. You never left her house hungry on Thanksgiving, that’s for sure.
Summer vacations to the Jersey Shore with her grandchildren, was high on Joan’s list of favorite things. Spending time with them all on Long Beach Island made her the happiest grandma ever. Of course, no trip to LBI would be complete for Joan without making a few purchases from Country Kettle Fudge! She loved that place. Her whole family has great memories of their summer vacations to LBI with Joan.
Christ Episcopal Church in Pompton Lakes was Joan’s spiritual home. She attended services there since the 1970’s, nourishing her soul every Sunday. It is only fitting that her funeral service will be held there, a place where she and her family have found so much comfort.
Joan is survived by her four children; Cheryl Giannetti of West Caldwell, Kathleen Shepard and her husband Michael of Wyckoff, Melinda (Mindy) Watts and her husband Robert of Lake Hopatcong, and William (Billy) Conkin and his wife Stephanie of Wayne, ten grandchildren; Amanda, Kirsten, Emily and Mikayla Shepard of Wyckoff, Katelyn, Ryan and Riley Watts of Lake Hopatcong, and Andrew, Kyle and Hailey Conklin of Wayne, and one brother; Donald Schwab and his wife Helga of Houston, Texas. She was predeceased by her brother Joseph Schwab of Totowa in 1993.
Those wishing to make a donation in Joan’s memory are asked to consider The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, NY NY 10163-4777 or visit www.michaeljfox.org.
Guestbook