Joan A. Dunn

Dunn, Joan Ann, 87, beloved daughter, sister, mother and grandmother, joined her parents and brother, Thomas, in heaven on October 7, 2019. Her final days were spent at home surrounded by her loved ones. She was grounded in her Catholic faith and at peace. Joan was one of three children born to Thomas and Anna (Doherty) Palmer. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY, attended Queen of all Saints School and later St. John’s University where she earned her BA in Education. After teaching for many years, Joan went on to become a successful Underwriter at The Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co in Hartford, CT. Upon retirement, she opened Sarah Kate, a ladies clothing boutique in Chester, CT. A lifelong lover of baseball, Joan regularly attended Brooklyn Dodger games at Dodger Stadium and later NY Mets and KC Royals games. She was always happy to discuss current events and had a passion for travel. She made many trips to Europe, Asia and New Zealand, but her favorite place to visit was Ireland, her ancestral home. A devoted mother and grandmother, Joan, spent countless hours watching swim meets, music recitals and football games. She was an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle parish in West Hartford, CT and later Our Lady of Grace Parish in Beverly Hills, FL. She leaves behind her loving children and grandchildren, Kevin and Susan Dunn of Kansas City, MO (Riley), Rick and Nancy Dunn DeGroff of Berlin, CT (Ryan, Samantha, Olivia), David and Kathleen Dunn Underhill of Hong Kong and Grafton, MA, (Sarah, Caroline, Ben) and Sheila Dunn, of W. Hartford, CT (Annie, John, Kevin). She also leaves behind her sister-in-law, Anna Palmer, and her brother, John Palmer, and his wife, Roberta of Beverly Hills, FL as well as nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. The family would like to express its deep gratitude to Dr. Alexander Lui, Jr. and Shanta DeVaughn. A rosary will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church in Beverly Hills, Florida at 10:15am on Monday, October 21st, followed by a funeral mass at 11:00am. A funeral mass will also be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford, CT on Thursday, October 24th, at 10:00am. A private burial will be at St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, www.jdrf.org.