Obituary of Joan Agnes McAllister

Joan McAllister, 74, adored and adorable wife of Peter McAllister, died on March 16, 2016. A longtime resident of Brookfield, Joan was born in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on June 4, 1941, and never fully lost her New York accent. Joan graduated from St. John’s School of Nursing in Queens in 1962 and proudly worked as a registered nurse specializing in geriatrics, most recently as a supervising nurse and MDS coordinator at the Saint John Paul II Center for Health Care in Danbury. An avid reader, Joan loved to cook, to travel—especially to the Caribbean and Europe—playing cards with friends, and watching Yankee games on her screened-in back porch on breezy summer nights. Along with her husband, who was also her best friend, she is survived by her four children, Maureen DeFazio of Bethel and her husband Ben; Dr. Peter McAllister of Rowayton and his wife Caryn; Joanne Smart of Brookfield and her husband Charlie; and Patricia Glatzel of Bethel. She also has seven grandchildren—Ian, Emily, Charlie, Katherine, Sarah, Michael, and Sadie—whom she loved hearing about and bragging about. She is predeceased by her parents John and Mae Goodwin and her two beloved sisters, Patricia Drewes and Irene Garrison. A service in celebration of Joan’s life will take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 9 at the Congregational Church of Brookfield (160 Whisconier Road, Brookfield, CT 06804), followed by a reception at the church. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Regional Hospice and Home Care Center for Comfort Care and Healing, 30 Milestone Road, Danbury, CT 06810.