JoAnn Dorothy (Brown) McAllister, 80, of Albany, NY, formerly of Westford, Tewksbury and Cape Cod, MA, died Monday, September 7, 2026, at Albany Medical Center after a brief illness, with her family by her side.
Born in Lowell, MA, on August 23, 1946, she was the daughter of the late Robert Brown and the late Edith A. (Prescott) Brown. JoAnn grew up in Billerica and was educated in the Billerica schools before entering nursing school at Tewksbury State Hospital, beginning a career of caring for others that would span more than four decades.
She was the wife of William John McAllister, known to all as John, who was taken from her far too soon in 1972.
JoAnn devoted her working life to nursing. She served with an ambulance company out of Westford and later worked in a doctor's office. For several years she was a nurse with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and she retired as a nurse at Tewksbury State Hospital, where her career had begun so many years earlier. Wherever she worked, she brought the same steady competence and warmth that her patients and coworkers came to depend on.
Away from work, JoAnn enjoyed spending time at the casinos, always hoping for a lucky night. She was a devoted Red Sox fan and a faithful follower of General Hospital, which she rarely missed. She made her home in Albany for the past ten years and was a communicant of Saint Henry's Church in Averill Park, NY.
She is survived by her daughter, Kelly Buttaci and her husband Charles of Averill Park, NY; her three grandchildren, Dean, Mason and Katie Buttaci, all of Averill Park, NY; and her sister, Sandra Souza of Mashpee, MA. She was predeceased by her brother, Richard Brown. She is also survived by her nephews and friends.
Services and burial at Fairview Cemetery in Westford, MA, will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are under the care and direction of the Tewksbury Funeral Home, 1 Dewey Street, Tewksbury, MA 01876.