Joan Frances Lawrence

Joan Frances Lawrence returned to God's Eternal Garden on Friday October 27, 2023. She passed away peacefully in her own home at the age of 88 years. Joan was born in Palmerton, PA, daughter of Anthony and Anna Vlossak.

After graduating high school, Joan worked as a bank teller and was on her way to developing a successful career in the banking industry. It was here she met her future husband James G. (Jimmy) Lawrence, a U.S. Army Lieutenant who was stationed nearby and a regular client of the bank. After their marriage, Joan moved to Madison, Jimmy's home town where she worked as a secretary at the Medical College on the UW campus. After several years she left the Medical College to raise her two sons. Later in life, she returned to school and earned a degree in Respiratory Therapy at Madison Area Technical College. After graduating from M.A.T.C., she accepted a position with Meriter Hospital, where she remained her entire career. Joan gave her patients excellent respiratory care and treated them with kindness and compassion. In her retirement, she once again returned to nurturing and caring for her family.

Joan was a kind, caring and loving person. She cared deeply about her family and spoiled them with her delicious home-cooked food and baked goods. She also loved to sew, craft and decorate her home. Joan's passion was her garden, where she grew fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs to nourish her family and friends. She also grew as many different varieties of flowers as she could pack into her ever-expanding garden beds. Joan enjoyed people and was a life-long learner. She participated in classes, joined clubs and went to special events. She loved to talk and socialize with her family, friends and neighbors. Everyone she knew meant so much to her. Joan was a very lovely lady who tried to make the world a more beautiful place with everything she did.

Joan is survived by her son, Bart and her niece, Terry. She was preceded in death by her son Brett and her husband Jimmy. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at BLESSED SACRAMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH, 2115 Rowley Ave., Madison, on Friday, November 17, 2023, at 11 a.m. A visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery. A luncheon for family and friends will take place at noon, following Mass.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, you send a contribution to the James Brett Lawrence Music Scholarship Fund through the Madison Area Technical College Foundation and West High School.

Please take a moment to visit the online guestbook Joan's family will treasure any memories or stories you wish to share.