Joan B. Dineen

Joan was born February 23, 1936, in White Plains, NY to Muriel Janette Van Buren. While Joan was still a child, her mother married Frank Michalsky of White Plains and he became her adoptive father.

Joan graduated from White Plains High School in 1953 and soon met her future husband, Tom Dineen, upon his return from the Navy during the Korean War. They married in 1956 and had four children. The family resided in Greenwich, CT with Tom and Joan living there for nearly 30 years. Eventually, they moved to Hilton Head Island, SC and Venice Beach, FL. Tom passed away in 1997. In the year 2000, Joan moved back north to Danbury, CT where she lived for 15 years, and then spent her final years in assisted living in Bethel and Stratford, CT.

In the 1970s Joan started a successful bookkeeping business in Stamford, CT that continued until her retirement. In addition to running her business, Joan was the Connecticut State Treasurer of NOW, and also served on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) for eight years as a Greenwich representative. Eventually, Joan found the time to take evening college classes and received her bachelor’s degree in her early 40’s. While living in Hilton Head she served as a campaign manager in three successful elections for State House Representatives. In later years she was an active volunteer at SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executives), serving with the Hilton Head and Connecticut chapters for about 15 years.

Joan had a keen interest in Personal Computers and joined a PC Users Group in Hilton Head in the mid-'80s. Eventually, she was elected to the Board of the Association of PC User Groups, Inc., an organization that teaches computer groups how to run their meetings, get vendor sponsors, and become non-profits. She also served as treasurer for almost five years and gave many lectures and workshops on getting non-profit status, keeping the club books, and writing grants.

In her free time, Joan loved to travel and went on many tours and cruises, as well as playing computer games and Scrabble with her family. She also loved music, was a skilled piano player and loved to sing.

She is survived by her four children, Janet (Mike) Maurer, Tom Dineen, Bill (Tracy) Dineen, and Carol Allen; six grandchildren, Erin, Renea, Kevin, Jeffrey, Daniel and Stephanie; three great-grandchildren, Kane, Waverly and River; as well as her cousins, niece, and nephews.

A private family gathering will be held at a later date to celebrate Joan’s life.