Joan H. Winters

Joan H. Winters, 87, of Bridgewater, died peacefully on July 27, 2022. Born in Maplewood, New Jersey to the late August and Anna Huber (nee Sheridan), she was a graduate of Columbia High School. Joan went on to graduate from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia where she majored in political science. She started working for Mutual Of New York (MONY) in New York City in the Personnel Department. For five years she caught the eye of her colleague, Mr. Frederick P. Winters, who became the love of her life. The two were married on May 5, 1962 and lived in Englewood before settling in Mr. Winters’s hometown of Bridgewater, where they raised their family. Joan was a joyful and energetic mother who never tired in taking her children to music lessons, baseball and softball practices, swim meets and many fun outings. She enjoyed sewing and home projects and made many special outfits for her children over the years and was a caring and sympathetic ear for them throughout her life. Joan was a warrior who lived up to her namesake. At the age of 39 she was a cancer survivor, never wavering in her role as a tireless and devoted wife and mother. After triumphing over her illness, she decided to head back to work, and began what was to be a temp assignment for Kelly Girl at City Federal Savings Bank in Somerset, NJ in 1977 where she worked part-time for two years. She then accepted a full-time position and in the ten years she spent with City Federal was promoted through the ranks, retiring as Vice President in 1989. She had a corner office and was well-respected as a leader, which was seen firsthand by her three children who all secured summer jobs in her department as teenagers. Mr. & Mrs. Winters have been devout parishioners of St. Bernard of Clairvaux R. C. Church since moving to Bridgewater in 1964. Joan served as a CCD teacher, Parish Council member, and sang in the choir. Joan and Fred were founding members of the Pre Cana guidance group at St. Bernard’s. The Winters enjoyed family vacations and creating lifelong memories with their closest friends, the late John and Janice Glenfield of Somerville and Manasquan, NJ. In retirement, Joan and Fred enjoyed many years of wintering in Vero Beach, Florida where they were often joined by many of their circle of friends from New Jersey. They enjoyed traveling to Europe and always, time spent with their family especially at all the holidays which Joan always made incredibly special. In 1994, Joan had a major stroke that slowed her down, but never stopped her. Supported by her family in every way, she took on decades of therapies to help her continue to live a wonderfully productive and successful life while living with permanent disabilities. She never found a moment to feel sorry for herself and spread her positivity to everyone around her. Joan continued to cook special family recipes, crochet, do embroidery, and wrap all the family’s Christmas presents, even with the use of only one hand. During her time rehabilitating in 1995 and 1996, she developed a love of the NY Yankees, especially Derek Jeter. His respect for the game and how he conducted himself won over Joan and she was his biggest fan. Watching the Yankees persevere inspired her to keep going and gave her something to look forward to and cheer for, and was an enthusiasm enjoyed by her entire family. In the last year she celebrated seeing Jeter enter the Baseball Hall of Fame, something she never anticipated living long enough to see. Even in her final days she found joy in watching the most recent ESPN documentary commemorating his twenty-year career. Joan played piano and had a love and talent for music she passed on to her three children. She was a lifelong enthusiast who along with her husband remained actively interested in every detail of the lives of her adult children and beloved grandchildren. She enjoyed listening to new music, reading biographies, and avidly watched a wide variety of films and television dramas. Even with a cane, she would attend concerts to see her son play and could stay through the encore. Her ability to face hardship in life and see it as just a bump in the road was an inspiration to everyone around her. Joan’s faith in God was unwavering and it showed in everything she did. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, August and Anna Huber, her brother Andrew and wife Rita, sisters Anita and Dorothea, parents-in-law Frederick and Catherine Mulligan Winters, and sisters-in-law Veronica Winters Stempien and Barbara Winters. Surviving are her beloved husband of sixty years, Frederick P. Winters, her devoted children, Anne Carol Winters, F. Peter Winters and wife Deborah, Brian Winters, her cherished grandchildren, Eve and Samuel Winters, her brother-in-law William Winters, as well as her many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, extended family, friends, and neighbors. Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2022, from 4:00 to 8:00PM at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 5, 2022, at 10:00AM at St. Bernard of Clairvaux R.C. Church, Bridgewater. Family and friends are welcome to gather at the funeral home beginning at 9:00AM. Entombment will follow at St. Bernard Cemetery, Bridgewater. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joan’s name to the American Stroke Association Donate Online and to the Turn 2 Foundation Donate Online .