Joan Marie Van Tassel
Joan Marie (Barrett) Van Tassel, of Natick, formerly of Milton, October 29, 2020.
Beloved wife of the late John E. Van Tassel, Jr. Loving daughter of the late Francis E. and Mary A. (O’Connell) Barrett. Sister of Ann Barrett of Braintree, Eleanor McCormick of PA, Judy Coughlin of MD and the late Francis E. Barrett, Mary Wieners, Barbara Corrigan, Jean Tallberg and Elizabeth Barrett. Joan is survived by many nieces and nephews.
Born in Boston, Joan was raised in Milton and graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in 1948, Regis College in 1952 and received her Master’s in Education from Boston College. Joan worked in the Framingham Public Schools for over 22 years as a Guidance Counselor. She had lived in Natick for over 35 years and was a member of the Massachusetts School Counselors Assn. and Retired Teachers Assn.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Saint Linus Church, 119 Hartford Street, Natick, Tuesday, November 3 at 10:00 am. Relatives and friends invited. Interment will follow at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.
Guestbook Entries
It was my honor to have been helping to care for Joan for many years and you will be missed. Rest In Peace Joan
I met Joan through St Linus Church and have been her Eucharistic Minister for approximately 1½ years. I feel blessed to have known Joan. She was warm, friendly and kind and I loved her spunk! She will surely be missed! May God wrap her in His loving embrace and fill her with His peace.
Joan and I were second cousins, the grandchildren of siblings.
Sadly, I only got to know Joan and John about 20 years ago when I began genealogical research into my mother’s American relatives. Although Joan and I only met twice, we had many long, animated phone conversations. Strongly opinionated, devilish funny, fiercely independent and proudly American; Joan was an unforgettable character. Canuck Cousin Paul
I met Joan in 1962 at Boston College and we have been friends all these years. Both of us were counselors in Framingham for many years. Joan will be missed. May she Rest In Peace.