GILMANTON ---– Joanne Wilkens, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on November 27, 2025, at the age of 84, surrounded by her loving family.
Her lifelong connection to her family and to her cherished Gilmanton farmhouse was there to the very end; she was tending her wood stove and making breakfast in her warm kitchen when she suffered a severe stroke.
Born on February 3, 1941 to William and Laurose Wilkens, Joanne grew up on her family farm in the town of Gilmanton, NH; she graduated from Laconia High School in 1958.
In her youth, she raised chickens, sheep, horses and cows, instilling in her a lifelong love of animals. Joanne decided as a young adult that worldly adventures beckoned; she traveled and lived in Mexico, France, England, Russia and Brazil and visited a myriad of other countries during her lifetime.
At different points in her life she also called New York, Boston, Baltimore and Connecticut home. She lived in Kensington, CA in the 1970s and 80s, where she raised her two sons, who grew up calling her Sweet-O. Joanne spent summers in New Hampshire with them on Loon Pond and at the family farm; ultimately, she returned to Gilmanton full-time to pursue rustic life; she lovingly restored two historic barns, for which she received recognition.
Joanne loved language and learned to speak French, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently while earning her Master’s in Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley. She was a talented educator who taught English as a second language to numerous students making new lives in the United States. Joanne was proud to point out how this work helped her students and made society a richer place.
She was a gifted writer and published two books, including “Her Own Business,” a book about women entrepreneurs. With a sharp intellect and an excellent memory, Joanne could always be counted on to tell a classic family tale. She loved cooking and entertaining and would proudly announce, “Everybody loves it!” when recounting her kitchen escapades. Joanne was interested in everything from current events to local legends and history.
She never lost her love for small town culture and the fabric of rural New Hampshire; in her later years she supported a year-round community farmers market in a barn on her property and her hayfield helps feed one of the largest sheep flocks in the state.
Joanne was immensely proud of her family’s professional and personal accomplishments, always expressing great interest in projects or schoolwork. Her thoughtfulness and unwavering support were a gift to those fortunate enough to have known her and she will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched.
She is survived by her devoted husband Dr. Edward Bernstine, her two sons Nick Pugh and David Pugh, her daughters-in-law Eileen Pugh and Tina Silvestri, her granddaughters Serena Pugh and Julie Pugh, the family pets, and many others in her large, extended family. She is predeceased by her sister, Svarna Wilkens and her brother, William Wilkens, Jr.
A service to remember and honor Joanne’s life is planned for February 14, 2026 at 11:00am at the Gilmanton Community Church, 497 Province Road,
Gilmanton, NH 03237.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the New Hampshire SPCA.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.