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Joan Frances Freitas (Duggan)

Joan Frances Freitas of Newtown, PA and formerly of Jacobstown, NJ died peacefully surrounded by her loving and devoted family on Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Floral Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Yardley, PA.  She was 79.

Joan, beloved wife of Colonel John Freitas, USAF Retired, passed five days short of celebrating their 53rd wedding anniversary on July 1st.

Born in Springfield, MA, Joan was the daughter of the late Bernard and Margaret Meagher Duggan and the sister of Virginia Lucido and the late Mary Patricia Sullivan.

Joan started her career as a schoolteacher in Springfield, MA and she went on to teach in Phoenix, AZ where many of her students were non-English speaking immigrants.  Later after her three daughters were born, she spent many decades of her life as a devoted stay at home mother.  Once her children were grown, she resumed her professional career working for the NJ Department of Labor where she would help to place individuals in job situations.  Joan was a creative person at heart, with particular interest in sewing, quilting, furniture restoration, watercolor painting, and gardening.  She always had a long list of “projects” in mind which kept her inspired.  Joan was a proud military wife who loved her family and supported her husband during his career, and she also had a special love of dogs and proudly cared for her two special pets, Tippy when she was a child and later a Yorkie named Bailey.  Joan will be greatly missed, but eternally loved and remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend.

In addition to her husband John, Joan is survived by her loving daughters; Ginny Meltzer and her husband Gary of Newtown, PA, Carolyn Irelan and her husband Charles of Langhorne, PA, and Terry Voigt and her husband Hendrik of Chatham, NJ.  She is also survived by her five dear grandchildren Emily, Katie, Ally, Max, and Maddie and many nieces and nephews.

Joan’s family will receive friends on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 from 10:00 AM until her Funeral Mass 11:AM at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 81 Swamp Road Newtown, PA 18940.  Her interment will be private at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Floral Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, 600 Township Line Road, Yardley, PA 19067.

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Service/Memorial Information
  • Morning Visitation

    Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
    10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    St. Andrew Catholic Church
    81 Swamp Road
    Newtown, PA 18940

  • Service

    Wednesday, July 7th, 2021
    11:00 AM

    St. Andrew Catholic Church
    81 Swamp Road
    Newtown, PA 18940

  • Cemetery

    Washington Crossing National Cemetery
    830 Highland Road
    Newtown, PA 18940

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