Joan is survived by her much-loved daughter Susan Berman of Dedham, MA and her sister Barbara Weiss of St. Louis, MO. She also leaves behind a multitude of loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, as well as her ‘adopted’ grandson Jake. Joan is predeceased by her beloved husband of 44 years, Edward Berman, and her cherished son Howard Isaac Berman, of Brookline, MA, of blessed memory.
Born and raised in New York City, Joan remained a true New Yorker at heart, despite living in Massachusetts for almost 60 years. Daughter of the late David and Theresa (Tess) Gibgot, Joan received her undergrad degree at Hunter College in New York, and her Masters degree at University of Michigan. Joan taught in the NYC Public Schools system until she moved to Brookline, MA when she married Eddie. They made their family home in Needham with their children Howard and Susan, first on Woodbine Circle, where Joan met some of her closest lifelong friends, and Wildwood Drive, where they lived for almost 40 years. Joan moved to Nahanton Woods in 2014.
Joan was a long time member of Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, and an avid member of ORT, Hadassah, and the Needham Garden Club, where she created gorgeous floral arrangements. She played tennis weekly into her ‘80s, and loved her majong, canasta and bridge groups, as well as shopping, movie and dinner outings with her friends.
Joan loved to travel. as a family, the Bermans travelled all over the world on vacation; they attended five summer Olympic Games and two World Track and Field Championships. Despite being as busy as she was, Joan always made time for family and friends. Everyone who knew Joan loved her; she made everyone feel special, listened to, and we all felt lucky to spend time with her.
Funeral services for Joan will be on Tuesday December 27 at 12:30 at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, MA, followed by shiva in the community room at Nahanton Woods, 210 Nahanton Street, Newton 02459 until 6pm.
Donations can be made to Needham Hadassah c/o Harriet Binder, 145 Pine Grove St, Needham, MA 02494, and messages to the family can be sent via the Legacy.com website or the Stanetsky Brookline website (www.stanetskybrookline.com).
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