Joan Finney Wing (born Alice Joan Finney) passed away on May, 25, 2022 at the age of 88. She is survived by her sons Arthur (Robin) and his wife Sharlene (Waltham, MA), Dan and his wife Yvette Lucas (Montclair, NJ), grandchildren Adam Wing and his wife Harriet Jenkins (Melbourne, AUS) and Sarah and husband Brian Shoyer (Marlboro, MA), beloved cousins, family friends, and her cat Sinamon. She was predeceased by her husband The Rev. Arthur Kyle Wing, III (Terry) in 2022 and her youngest son John in 2004.

Joan was born on December 5, 1934, in Tuxedo, NY to Alice Beard Finney and Edward John Finney. An only child, she grew up in Ho-ho-kus, NJ and graduated from Ridgewood High school in 1952. Joan and Terry met at a diocesan youth event when they were both in high school and quickly grew inseparable, participating in various activities where they could be together including working as camp counselors at Camp Bement (run by the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts), and after they were engaged traveling together to England as Wynant volunteers. They were married in 1957 after Terry graduated from Lehigh University and Joan from Ursinus College.

Joan spent the early years of their marriage raising children and volunteering in a variety of church and community activities. After the boys were in school full time she pursued a career in education, spending 30 years in the Teaneck, NJ school system. She spent the majority of her career at Thomas Jefferson Junior High, having first taught at Teaneck High School for three years. She taught English, History and English as a Second Language, but her true love was teaching Reading. In the early part of her career, she went back to school at Columbia Teachers College where she earned a Masters degree and completed course work for her PhD while working full time. She continued teaching in Teaneck through family moves including to Montclair, NJ and later Suffern, NY, and actively participated in the communities where she lived.

After Joan retired in 1998, she and Terry increased their community activities, most notably with the Rockland Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) “Clowns ‘R’ Us” where they entertained various groups and hospitals as Beau and Peep, as a hospital ombudsman with the NY Statewide Senior Action Council, and on the Vestry of Christ Episcopal Church in Suffern, NY.

Joan and Terry moved to Bristol Glen in 2017, a United Methodist CCRC in Newton, NJ. Terry lived and was cared for in the health care wing, and Joan lived in independent living visiting him daily. Joan continued her volunteer work at Bristol Glen on several committees: she participated as an ambassador to welcome new residents, wrote for the community newsletter, and served on the scholarship fund committee for seminarians.

Joan was a lifelong teacher and advocate, and cared deeply about the work she did and the causes she participated in.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial donations be made to Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) or Episcopal Relief and Development (episcopalrelief.org).