Born January 10, 1933, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., the daughter of the late Wilbur F. and Winifred (nee Burridge) Lauzau, Joan M. McCarthy (nee Lauzau), 91, died Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at her residence in Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, IL.
Joan grew up in the economic hard times of the 30's and the 40's in a family of 7 children. She learned the value of hard work and how to make money stretch to cover your needs that served her well throughout her life. She excelled in school where she discovered her love for math and music and she began playing violin. In her junior year of high school she composed the Recessional music for the Graduation ceremony, and in her senior year she composed the Processional music for her graduating class. She was the first girl to receive the Century Club Scholarship and proceeded to attend and graduate from Niagara University in May of 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Math.
She married Robert J. McCarthy in August 1954 and devoted the next 38 years to the challenging task of raising their nine children and moving several times eventually settling in Lombard, IL. Her love of the violin moved with her and in all the towns they lived in she played in the local orchestra. She played in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra for over 40 years and developed many friendships within the group. Her faith life blossomed at St. Pius X in Lombard, after she first joined their prayer group and later participated in CHRP and Cursillo. She loved sharing her faith with others and was a member of the Spirit of Life Choir for many years.
She developed an interest in Social Work and in 1992 at the age of 59 she graduated from the National Louis University with a Master's Degree in Science and began her working career. She worked for several years as a counselor. She later decided to revisit her early passion for math and finished her working career working at West Suburban Bank retiring at the age of 72.
Joan was the loving mother of Mike (Nancy), Kevin (Cindy), Kathy (Tom) Krepel, Colleen (Norbert) Krogstad, Maureen, Patty, John (JoDonna) and James (Monchaya) McCarthy, devoted grandmother to twenty-two and great-grandmother to twenty, loving sister of Bill, John (Joan) Lauzau, Nancy (Herb) Nelson, and Mary Vescio, and sister-in-law Marie Lauzau.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by Robert her husband of 40 years, her daughter Karen, two grandchildren, Amanda McCarthy and Drew Lemberger, her brother Ron, sister Dorothy Ackerson, and in-laws Olga Lauzau, Bob Ackerson, and Ralph Vescio.
Joan grew up in the economic hard times of the 30's and the 40's in a family of 7 children. She learned the value of hard work and how to make money stretch to cover your needs that served her well throughout her life. She excelled in school where she discovered her love for math and music and she began playing violin. In her junior year of high school she composed the Recessional music for the Graduation ceremony, and in her senior year she composed the Processional music for her graduating class. She was the first girl to receive the Century Club Scholarship and proceeded to attend and graduate from Niagara University in May of 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Math.
She married Robert J. McCarthy in August 1954 and devoted the next 38 years to the challenging task of raising their nine children and moving several times eventually settling in Lombard, IL. Her love of the violin moved with her and in all the towns they lived in she played in the local orchestra. She played in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra for over 40 years and developed many friendships within the group. Her faith life blossomed at St. Pius X in Lombard, after she first joined their prayer group and later participated in CHRP and Cursillo. She loved sharing her faith with others and was a member of the Spirit of Life Choir for many years.
She developed an interest in Social Work and in 1992 at the age of 59 she graduated from the National Louis University with a Master's Degree in Science and began her working career. She worked for several years as a counselor. She later decided to revisit her early passion for math and finished her working career working at West Suburban Bank retiring at the age of 72.
Joan was the loving mother of Mike (Nancy), Kevin (Cindy), Kathy (Tom) Krepel, Colleen (Norbert) Krogstad, Maureen, Patty, John (JoDonna) and James (Monchaya) McCarthy, devoted grandmother to twenty-two and great-grandmother to twenty, loving sister of Bill, John (Joan) Lauzau, Nancy (Herb) Nelson, and Mary Vescio, and sister-in-law Marie Lauzau.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by Robert her husband of 40 years, her daughter Karen, two grandchildren, Amanda McCarthy and Drew Lemberger, her brother Ron, sister Dorothy Ackerson, and in-laws Olga Lauzau, Bob Ackerson, and Ralph Vescio.
Born January 10, 1933, in Niagara Falls, N.Y., the daughter of the late Wilbur F. and Winifred (nee Burridge) Lauzau, Joan M. McCarthy (nee Lauzau), 91, died Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at her residence in Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, IL.
Joan grew up in the economic hard times of the 30's and the 40's in a family of 7 children. She learned the value of hard work and how to make money stretch to cover your needs that served her well throughout her life. She excelled in school where she discovered her love for math and music and she began playing violin. In her junior year of high school she composed the Recessional music for the Graduation ceremony, and in her senior year she composed the Processional music for her graduating class. She was the first girl to receive the Century Club Scholarship and proceeded to attend and graduate from Niagara University in May of 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Math.
She married Robert J. McCarthy in August 1954 and devoted the next 38 years to the challenging task of raising their nine children and moving several times eventually settling in Lombard, IL. Her love of the violin moved with her and in all the towns they lived in she played in the local orchestra. She played in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra for over 40 years and developed many friendships within the group. Her faith life blossomed at St. Pius X in Lombard, after she first joined their prayer group and later participated in CHRP and Cursillo. She loved sharing her faith with others and was a member of the Spirit of Life Choir for many years.
She developed an interest in Social Work and in 1992 at the age of 59 she graduated from the National Louis University with a Master's Degree in Science and began her working career. She worked for several years as a counselor. She later decided to revisit her early passion for math and finished her working career working at West Suburban Bank retiring at the age of 72.
Joan was the loving mother of Mike (Nancy), Kevin (Cindy), Kathy (Tom) Krepel, Colleen (Norbert) Krogstad, Maureen, Patty, John (JoDonna) and James (Monchaya) McCarthy, devoted grandmother to twenty-two and great-grandmother to twenty, loving sister of Bill, John (Joan) Lauzau, Nancy (Herb) Nelson, and Mary Vescio, and sister-in-law Marie Lauzau.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by Robert her husband of 40 years, her daughter Karen, two grandchildren, Amanda McCarthy and Drew Lemberger, her brother Ron, sister Dorothy Ackerson, and in-laws Olga Lauzau, Bob Ackerson, and Ralph Vescio.
Joan grew up in the economic hard times of the 30's and the 40's in a family of 7 children. She learned the value of hard work and how to make money stretch to cover your needs that served her well throughout her life. She excelled in school where she discovered her love for math and music and she began playing violin. In her junior year of high school she composed the Recessional music for the Graduation ceremony, and in her senior year she composed the Processional music for her graduating class. She was the first girl to receive the Century Club Scholarship and proceeded to attend and graduate from Niagara University in May of 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Math.
She married Robert J. McCarthy in August 1954 and devoted the next 38 years to the challenging task of raising their nine children and moving several times eventually settling in Lombard, IL. Her love of the violin moved with her and in all the towns they lived in she played in the local orchestra. She played in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra for over 40 years and developed many friendships within the group. Her faith life blossomed at St. Pius X in Lombard, after she first joined their prayer group and later participated in CHRP and Cursillo. She loved sharing her faith with others and was a member of the Spirit of Life Choir for many years.
She developed an interest in Social Work and in 1992 at the age of 59 she graduated from the National Louis University with a Master's Degree in Science and began her working career. She worked for several years as a counselor. She later decided to revisit her early passion for math and finished her working career working at West Suburban Bank retiring at the age of 72.
Joan was the loving mother of Mike (Nancy), Kevin (Cindy), Kathy (Tom) Krepel, Colleen (Norbert) Krogstad, Maureen, Patty, John (JoDonna) and James (Monchaya) McCarthy, devoted grandmother to twenty-two and great-grandmother to twenty, loving sister of Bill, John (Joan) Lauzau, Nancy (Herb) Nelson, and Mary Vescio, and sister-in-law Marie Lauzau.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by Robert her husband of 40 years, her daughter Karen, two grandchildren, Amanda McCarthy and Drew Lemberger, her brother Ron, sister Dorothy Ackerson, and in-laws Olga Lauzau, Bob Ackerson, and Ralph Vescio.
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