Joan Yvonne McClure (Dey), 90, of Londonderry, NH passed away on Saturday, March 22, 2025. She was born in Buffalo, NY, the daughter of George A and Mary (Harrison) Dey. Prior to moving to Londonderry in 2016, she lived for over 55 years in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband Robert.
Joan had a loving personality and adventurous spirit which will be greatly missed. In life, she was a devoted wife and mother and delighted in being a Grandma and Great Grandma. She was a very generous and kind-hearted person who always looked for ways to help others or a chance to offer an encouraging word. Joan’s playful nature had her joyfully joining in with whatever activities her friends and family participated in. Over the course of her life, she traveled across the US, Europe, and China, went scuba diving in Hawaii, and took thousands of photos everywhere she visited. She was a very active person with many interests throughout her life that included water ballet, waterskiing, gardening, ballet, golf, and of course art. In art, she found her passion and calling.
Joan was an accomplished artist whose formal training began in Buffalo, NY in 1949 and resumed in Delaware in 1967 when she began attending the University of Delaware. Joan specialized in printmaking, employing etching, lithography, and silkscreen printing to accomplish her work. She also was known to use her hand made paper in the ’Chin Cole’ method (Chinese collage) to impart color to her original etchings.
Joan taught printmaking at the Delaware Art Museum from 1975 – 1981 and for 16 years each at the Chester County (PA) Art association and at the art studios at Absalom Jones as well as for a time at the CCArts in Delaware.
In 1995 Joan was invited by the Belgium government to work with a small group of international artists at the Frans Masereelcenter for graphics in Kastrlee. Two of her works accomplished there remain in the center’s permanent collection, and two other works circulate with the Belgium government’s collection. She also was recognized nationally by the inclusion of her etching “Renewal” in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC. In 2003, two of Joan’s works, “Renewal” and ”Coloring Book II,” were published in the collection Speaking for Themselves: the Artists of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Joan is survived by her son William McClure and wife Diana Lynn of Rehoboth Beach, DE and Zephyrhills, FL; her daughter Barbara Schechinger and husband Paul of Londonderry, NH; two granddaughters, Lauren Schechinger of Arlington, MA, and Anna Guastella and husband Rob of Clinton, MA, two great granddaughters Ivy and Maya Guastella; a brother George Dey and wife Marilyn of Amherst, NY; brother in law, Jerry McClure and wife Terry of Jackson Beach, FL, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by Robert McClure, her husband of 63 years until his death in 2018.
Following cremation, calling hours will be held on Sunday, March 30th, 2025 from 1:00-3:00 PM at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 290 Mammoth Rd, Londonderry. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org or to the Delaware Art Museum at delart.org/support.