Joan Louise Frankel

RUTLAND/PENNSYLVANIA Joan Louise Frankel died Saturday, February 16, 2019 at St. Vincent Hospital after a short final illness. She was a few weeks shy of her 65th birthday.

She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Claire and Owen Sholes of Rutland MA; her brother and sister-in-law, David and Susan Frankel of Lamar CO; a nephew, Colin Sholes of Philadelphia PA; and a niece, nephew and grandniece, Audrey, Tariq and Isabella Shah of Columbia MO. She was the middle child of Dr. Herbert L. Frankel of Philadelphia, who predeceased her in 1976, and Dr. Barbara Frankel (Campbell) of Shrewsbury, who predeceased her in 2016.

Joan spent most of her life in Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia or Allentown/ Bethlehem areas. She graduated from Cheltenham High School in Wyncote PA, received her BA degree at Wilmington College in Ohio, and later earned a Master’s of Library Science from Rutgers University in NJ. She worked for a number of years as a jewelry repairperson before pursuing an advanced degree, but was forced to retire with disability. She moved to Hawthorne Hills in Rutland when her mother moved to Massachusetts in 2013.

She was interested in fabric arts, spinning/dyeing wool, needlepoint and animal welfare. She loved to read and grow plants. She loved her cats, her family and mystery and fantasy books. She was a gentle soul and will be missed by those who loved her.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Joan’s family from noon to 1:00 p.m. Friday, March 15, 2019 followed by a memorial service honoring her life at 1:00 p.m. at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. There will be a memorial reception on Saturday, March 16, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the home of Claire and Owen Sholes. Donations may be given in lieu of flowers to Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue, 381 Baldwinville Rd., Templeton, MA 01468, Alley Cat Allies, 7920 Norfolk Ave #600, Bethesda, MD 20814, Alley Cat Rescue, Inc. P.O. Box 585, Mount Rainier, MD 20712 or the Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary, 37 Eddy St., Norton, MA 02766. To share a memory or to offer a condolence please visit the "Tribute Wall" on this page.