Joan Harris Stratton

Joan Harris Stratton, 88, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, died Monday, September 28, following a brief illness. She was the wife of former area congressman and Schenectady mayor, Samuel S. Stratton, and mother of current Schenectady mayor, Brian U. Stratton. Mrs. Stratton was born in Port Marnock, Ireland, outside Dublin on May 5, 1921, one of three daughters. She came to the United States in 1941 with her parents, residing in Washington, D.C., where her father worked for the British Treasury under the Lend-Lease Program of World War II. It was during that time she met Samuel S. Stratton, who was working for the federal Far East Commission. They were married in Washington on December 17, 1947. She moved with her husband to Schenectady in 1948 to raise a family of five children and where Mr. Stratton began a long political career, first as a member of the Schenectady City Council, as mayor of Schenectady and as a member of Congress from 1958 to 1988. She was predeceased by her husband of 43 years in 1990; and by her two sisters, Myrtle Burr and Joyce Alesworth, both of England. Mrs. Stratton is survived by her five children and ten grandchildren, Lisa Stratton Bravo (Martin) of San Mateo, CA, Debra Stratton Mott (Roger) of Springfield, Virginia, Kevin Stratton of Reston, Virginia, Kim Petrie (Mike) of Basalt, CO, and Brian U. Stratton of Schenectady. A celebration of Mrs. Stratton's life will be held by the family on Friday, October 2, at 11 a.m. at St. John's United Methodist Church in Springfield, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, 5020 Battery Ln., Bethesda, MD 20814 or to a charity of your choice.