Joan A Briant

Joan Agnes (Leeds) Briant was born May 2nd 1933 in Camden, New Jersey. She grew up with her parents Edward B. and Ethel A. Leeds and her two sisters Barbara and Peggy in Collingswood New Jersey. She was the youngest of the three daughters in the family.

She attended and graduated from Collingswood High School along with her best friend Susan Schlereth. It was through Sue that Joan met her future husband, Ronald Briant. Ron was in the Army and coming home on leave at the time of the girl’s senior prom. Sue set Ron and Joan up on a blind date and they continued to date for a few years until they were married.

Joan had already decided to become a nurse following her older sisters, Barb and Peg, in the nursing field. She attended West Jersey Hospital Nursing School which at the time was attached to West Jersey Hospital in Camden New Jersey. Joan Graduated as a registered nurse from there on May 4th 1954. It was a busy month for her since she and Ron were also married on My 28th 1954.

They settled in Collingswood, New Jersey, Ron working as a police officer and Joan as a nurse. They went on to have three children, Karen, James and Irene.

Ron and Joan’s love of the water kept the family quite busy. For many years, on the weekend, they would take the family to their boat which was always kept on the Chesapeake Bay. They would spend their vacations at Joan’s parents’ house in Ocean City, New Jersey. They had many fun filled adventures including boating, swimming, and of course, the New Jersey boardwalk!

In 1980, Joan and Ron Made the decision to move to Florida which is where they planned to retire. Joan quickly secured a job with Palms of Pasadena Hospital in Pasadena, Florida where she worked for 13 years as a registered nurse.

Ron passed away in August of 1992 and Joan continued in her nursing career but chose to work for Suncoast Hospice in Pinellas. She worked for them until she was 72 years old, retiring in 2005. After Ron passed away, Joan decided to try out ballroom dancing as a hobby and enjoyed it so much that she went on to do competitions until 2005.

It was never a problem for her to drive over early on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought the grandchildren for Christmas.

Joan was very involved in her church, singing in the choir and helping with all the other activities as well. She especially enjoyed knitting prayer shawls and newborn hats the hospitals.

Through her retirement years she still stayed active by being her condo HOA president, going to Silver Sneakers, helping with church and of course being with her family. Joan was such an independent woman, always busy doing things in her life. Whenever we would ask if she needed help with something, we can all still hear her say “No, No- I got it I got it!!”