Joanie was born October 19, 1920 in New York, New York to Joseph Prentice Sanger and Edith Crocker Sanger. She attended Miss Chapin’s School in New York City, Brillantmont in Lausanne, Switzerland and St. Timothy School in Baltimore, MD, graduating in 1938. In 1942, Joanie married Richard P. Church of Barre, MA in 1942. After Mr. Church’s service in the war where he served with Patton’s Third Army in France and Germany, they lived in Massachusetts where he was an executive with a textile firm; Joanie kept a warm home for their growing family, volunteered in her community and was a member of The Junior League. In 1963, they moved to Charlotte, NC where Mr. Church passed away in April 1970. Joanie married Peter A. Jay in 1976 and moved to his farm in Havre de Grace, MD. Joanie returned to be with family and friends in 2002 after Mr. Jay’s death in February 2000. She has lived at The Cypress since then.
Joanie’s life was filled with family and volunteering. She was a long time member of Christ Episcopal Church and a lifelong member of the Garden Club of America. She did volunteer work for the Florence Crittenton Home and continued with her Junior League work in the south. Called “JJ” by numerous grand and great-grandchildren, she is remembered for her love of family. She delighted in getting the family together for large, boisterous gatherings where the children played hard and the adults gathered every evening for cocktails overlooking a beautiful lake or mountains. The family particularly remembers reunions at Squam Lake in New Hampshire, celebrating her birthday at Disney World, and their time at the HF Bar Ranch in Wyoming.
Joanie, is survived by her children, Richard P. Church of Nelson, NH, Barbara C. Smolenski of Hendersonville, NC, Ann C. Sargeant of Roanoke, VA, her step son, Peter A. Jay of Havre de Grace, MD, and her daughter-in-law Pamela Church-Hart. Her son Bartow Church predeceased her in December of 1987. She left 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
A memorial gathering will be held at The Cypress Club of Charlotte on Saturday, March 17 at 2:00 p.m.
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