LACONIA-----Joan Edith (Killelea) Thurston, 96, passed away on November 16, 2020, at Belknap County Nursing Home.
Joan was born September 7, 1924, in Fitchburg, MA, the daughter of the late Edward Thomas and Edith Clara (Luchford) Killelea. While attending Fitchburg State Teachers College, she met and married A. Donald (Don) Thurston, and they made their home in Leominster, MA. A few years later, they moved their growing family to Des Moines, IA, where Don partnered in business with his father. Involved in her families’ many activities, Joan found time to excel in cooking, appearing in featured articles about her East Coast traditions of baked beans, brown breads, desserts, and comfort foods. After many years in Iowa, Joan and Don moved back to the East Coast settling in Exeter, NH. Featured in the Union Leader, Joan was shown passing on her traditions by baking Christmas cookies with her grandchildren the week before Christmas every year. Joan loved spending the summers at Merrymeeting Lake where she and Don built the first of two summer homes. Nothing pleased her more than having all the children, their friends, relatives, and neighbors over for special events at camp. In 1970 the family bought Thurston’s Marina in Weirs Beach, NH. You could find Joan preparing snacks and refreshments for everyone after work at Don and Joan’s beautiful home on Channel Lane. Just as comfortable in the showroom, organizing or talking to a customer, Joan made sure that everyone she met knew how proud she was of her family.
Joan was a teacher for Head Start Program in Stratham and often led or volunteered with the Cub Scouts, PTA, and her children’s sports teams. Deeply involved in her church throughout her lifetime, Joan worked on many committees and boards wherever she lived, most recently at the Laconia Congregational Church where she was also a choir member and honored as Deacon Emeritus.
After retiring, Don and Joan enjoyed many activities at their winter home in Venice, FL, coming back to their home in Gilford for the summer. They enjoyed many years of friends and musical events as Don sang with the Shriners and they were both in their church choirs.
Survivors include her six children, Pamela (David) Perkins, Jeffrey (Peggy) Thurston, Donald (Sandra) Thurston, Bruce (Karen) Thurston, David (Cathie) Thurston, and Mark (Pamela) Thurston; seventeen grandchildren, Jeffrey (Sara) Thurston, Tracey (Andrew) Yelle, Michelle Wilson, Mandy Djaberlarbi, Kimberly Boyarsky, Christopher (Heather) Thurston, Ryan Thurston, Benjamin (Shirley) Thurston, Nicholas (Melissa) Thurston, Alexander (Kate) Thurston, Erin (Jamie) Decato, Kara Murphy, Maura (Michael) Murphy-Pike, Jonathan (Colleen) Thurston, Jason Thurston, Melissa (Jason) Constable, and Jennifer (Anthony) Sparacino; twenty-two great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her husband and parents, Joan was predeceased by her sister, Marjorie O’Neil of Washington, DC.
Per her request, private family services will be held at a later date in the family lot at Pine Grove Cemetery, Gilford.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Dorcas Fund, Laconia Congregational Church, 18 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH 03246, or the Belknap County Nursing Home, Attn: Activities Department, 30 County Drive, Laconia, NH 03246.
Joan’s family would like to thank the staff at Belknap County Nursing Home for the exceptionally warm and loving care she received while she lived there for the past 5 years.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremation.com, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH 03246 is assisting with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com