WATERBURY - Joan (Sullivan) Lawson, age 77 of Waterbury passed away on Thursday, July 28, 2016 a St. Marys Hospital surrounded by the love and comfort of her family after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late John "Red Lawson who passed away this past May 17, 2016.
Joan was born September 4, 1938 in Waterbury the daughter of the late John J. Jr. and Dorothy (Gado) Sullivan. She attended local schools and graduated from Wilby High School. During high school she worked at Worths Department Store and started helping in their photo studio. Joan would later become the color artist and would paint all the black and white photos that were taken. In 1960 she enlisted in the US Air Force
and was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California where she met "Red" the love of her life. After her service with the Air Force and Red retired they eventually moved back to Waterbury and made their home. They has a group of friends they enjoyed spending time with and traveling as they especially frequented the Western US. In their later years, even in poor health, they looked forward to their monthly dinners with the Bourgoins. Joan was proud of coming from such a diverse background, her Italian mother and Irish father. She was a parishioner of St. Francis Xavier Church.
Joan leaves her daughter, Elizabeth Santiago and her husband Hector who Joan thought the world of and with whom she made her home. She also leaves her grandchildren, Juliana and Alexa Santiago, soon to be grandson, Donald Savoy, Jr and Joan's reason for fighting these past few months, her great grandson, Juel Savoy, who till Joan's final days was reading to her at her bedside. Joan is also survived by Red's daughters, Sharyl Taylor and Randi Hutchens, many grandchildren and great grandchildren, 2 nephews and her grand dogs, Molly and Rocky. The family wishes to thank the staff at St. Mary's Hospital, Telemetry Unit and Xavier 3 for their compassionate care as well as all of Joan's doctors throughout the years.
Funeral services for Mrs. Lawson will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2016 when a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Church, 625 Baldwin St Waterbury at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be held at the convenience of the family. There are no calling hour. In lieu of flowers, to honor Joan's memory, donations to St. Francis Xavier Church 625 Baldwin St. Waterbury CT 06706 are appreciated. To extend on-line expressions of sympathy to the family or for additional information, visit the funeral homes website at
www.eastsidememorial.com