Joan (Fitzgerald) Benson, a resident of Winchester for over 58 years, passed away at Winchester Hospital on October 15, 2007. Born and raised in Haverhill, MA, she was the daughter of the late Wilhelmina M. (Achenbach) and John J. Fitzgerald. Joan was educated in Haverhill, and subsequently attended Westbrook College in Westbrook, ME, earning a nursing degree in 1941. While at Westbrook, she enjoyed horseback riding in addition to her academics. After graduation, she practiced as a Registered Nurse at Children’s Hospital in Boston for one year, and then returned to Westbrook to work for another year as the School Nurse. Her career then took her back to Children’s Hospital where she held the position of Head Nurse for several years. She then was employed as a R.N at the Boston Lying Inn Hospital, where she worked in the Research Nursery. Her studies included that of “Post-Mature” babies – larger infants that were delivered late (vs. pre-mature babies).
She married Dr. Harry Ludvig Benson, a lifetime resident of Winchester, on Jan. 15, 1949 in Trinity Church in Haverhill, MA. They resided in Winchester and raised three sons there, sharing over 27 years of marriage until his death in 1976. Joan was very active in the Winchester community. She was a member of the EnKa Society, Winchester’s oldest women’s service organization, where she also was the First-Aid nurse at the EnKa Fairs. She volunteered at the Parish of the Epiphany Church, serving as a member of the Altar Guild and as a member and former President of the Women of the Epiphany.
Joan is survived by her sons: John Ludvig Benson II and his wife Donna of Minneapolis, MN, Frederick Stephen of Stoneham, and David William and his wife Josephine of Woburn. She was also the dear sister of William Michael Fitzgerald of Washington and the late John Joseph Fitzgerald. She also leaves behind 9 Grandchildren: Bonnie, Peter, William, Jason, Ian, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Christina, and Edward, and 9 Great-Grandchildren: Cole, Austin, Maxwell, Victoria, Owen, Jeffrey, Felicia, Analea, and Mateo.
Funeral Services will be held in the Parish of the Epiphany, 70 Church St., Winchester, MA 01890, on Saturday, October 20th at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory may be made to the Altar Guild at the Parish of the Epiphany.
She married Dr. Harry Ludvig Benson, a lifetime resident of Winchester, on Jan. 15, 1949 in Trinity Church in Haverhill, MA. They resided in Winchester and raised three sons there, sharing over 27 years of marriage until his death in 1976. Joan was very active in the Winchester community. She was a member of the EnKa Society, Winchester’s oldest women’s service organization, where she also was the First-Aid nurse at the EnKa Fairs. She volunteered at the Parish of the Epiphany Church, serving as a member of the Altar Guild and as a member and former President of the Women of the Epiphany.
Joan is survived by her sons: John Ludvig Benson II and his wife Donna of Minneapolis, MN, Frederick Stephen of Stoneham, and David William and his wife Josephine of Woburn. She was also the dear sister of William Michael Fitzgerald of Washington and the late John Joseph Fitzgerald. She also leaves behind 9 Grandchildren: Bonnie, Peter, William, Jason, Ian, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Christina, and Edward, and 9 Great-Grandchildren: Cole, Austin, Maxwell, Victoria, Owen, Jeffrey, Felicia, Analea, and Mateo.
Funeral Services will be held in the Parish of the Epiphany, 70 Church St., Winchester, MA 01890, on Saturday, October 20th at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory may be made to the Altar Guild at the Parish of the Epiphany.
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