Obituary of Joan Kirwin Satterley

Joan Kirwin Satterley passed away peacefully on August 27th, 2023, surrounded by family at Good Shepherd Hospice in Rockville Centre, New York, the town where she was born and raised. She was 93 years old.

Joan is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Gordon Franklin Satterley, to whom she was married for 66 years. She is also predeceased by her brother, James Joseph Kirwin III, her sister, Rosemary Kirwin Swett, her infant son, Gordon Franklin Jr., and two grandsons, Evan Ross Satterley and Troy Jameson Satterley.

Affectionately known as Didi, Joan was born on March 4, 1930, to James Joseph Kirwin, Jr. and Agnes Byrns Kirwin. After graduating from Hewitt Elementary School and South Side High School, she attended Adelphi University, where she was a member of the Tri Delta National Sorority. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Connecticut in 1985 at the age of 55.

Joan and Gordon married in 1951. They raised four children together in Merrick and Rockville Centre, New York, and then Darien, Connecticut. A devout Roman Catholic, Joan was an active parishioner of both Cure of Ars and St. Agnes Cathedral on Long Island and St. Thomas More in Darien, where she proudly sang in the choir until she was 87 years old. She was faithful to the Blessed Mother and often called upon St. Anne and St. Anthony, who always supported her in times of need.

Joan enjoyed traveling with her husband throughout the United States and abroad, reading, tennis, and bridge. She loved to swim in the ocean, the Long Island Sound, and in the pools at Darien's YMCA and the Woodway Beach Club, where she and her husband were members for many years. Joan enjoyed knitting and sewing, much to the benefit of her grandchildren, who never wanted for blankets, sweaters, hats, booties, or Halloween costumes. She was a warm and friendly face to many who shopped at Bloomingdale's or Darien's Entre Nous, where she worked part-time, and to those who worked at the Darien Library, which she and Gordon frequented. Notably, Joan was a lover of cats and dogs, especially black labs, who offered constant companionship throughout her life.

Family was everything to Joan. She was proud and deeply appreciative of her Irish heritage and cherished the family traditions that were passed down from previous generations and which continue today. She was devoted to Gordon, the love of her life. Together, they set the standard for a healthy marriage, living out their vows each and every day. Joan was a wonderful mother who was dedicated to her children, and she lived for the times spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who lovingly knew her as Gram, Annie and Grandma Didi.

She is survived by those now entrusted to carry on her legacy, one that emphasized the importance of and love for family. These include her children, Nancy Osborne (Thomas) of Rockville Centre, New York; Thomas Satterley (Betty) of Richboro, Pennsylvania; Maureen Norton of Bedminster, New Jersey; and James Satterley (Janet) of St. Augustine, Florida, along with her nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

The family is grateful to the staff and caregivers at Atria Tanglewood, the senior living community located in Lynbrook, New York, which Joan called home for almost five years, as well as the team of doctors and nurses at Good Shepherd Hospice, where she spent her final days.

Friends will be received at the Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien on Monday, September 11th from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11:00 AM at St. Thomas More R. C. Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien. Burial will follow at Spring Grove Cemetery, Darien.