Joan P. (Thompson) Petro

Joan Petro passed away June 23, 2019 at Elderwood in Ticonderoga, NY.

Joan was born March 2, 1931 to Alfred and Bernice (Spaulding) Thompson. She grew up in Port Henry, New York, with eight siblings.

After graduating from Port Henry High School in 1949, Joan worked for an insurance company in Glens Falls, before returning home to marry her high school sweetheart, Adam, in 1952. Joan and Adam raised  and is survived by four children, Gerald and Nettie Petro of Constantia, NY, Jane and Frank Fowler of Crown Point, NY, David and Anne Petro of Morrisonville, NY and Diane and Pete Lawson of Naples, Fl. She is also survived by grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Joan and Adam lived for several years in Schenectady and Rexford area, before returning home to Port Henry in 1971. They lived on Church Street for the duration of their marriage. They hosted several exchange students during that time and welcomed 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Joan was a devout Catholic and attended St. Patrick’s Church in Port Henry. She was an active member of the Altar & Rosary Society and taught religion for many years.

Joan enjoyed writing short stories and poetry. She compiled several of her favorites into a booklet, which she loved to hand out to anyone wishing to read them. She wrote for church bulletins, worked on school papers, reported for the local radio station WIPS,  and reported for the former Times of Ti, now known as the Sun. Joan also wrote the words to the alma mater of North Country Community College. She was an active member or the Port Henry Chamber of Commerce and was a driving force behind adopting “Champ” as the Lake Champlain Sea Monster. Joan was a proud “Adirondacker” and was equally proud of the Town of Moriah.

Joan loved her family and enjoyed being a mom and homemaker. She was a great cook. Known for her homemade bread, she taught her grandchildren the joys of cooking and the art of making bread. Joan enjoyed reading her newspaper, doing the jumble and crossword puzzles, reading books and Woman’s World magazine. And she absolutely loved scratch-off lottery tickets!

Joan would honestly give “the shirt off her back” and all the money in her wallet to anyone who needed it. She was selfless, caring and a true lover of God and Country.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, June 28, 2019 at 12:00 pm at St. Patrick’s Church in Port Henry. Burial will follow in the Catholic Community of Moriah Cemetery. To leave condolences for the family please visit www.harlandfuneralhome.com.