Joan McConnell Cullinan

Memories of T.M.G.F.

It was one of those sister things, not easily understood by the outside world. Joan Cullinan was T.M.G.F. Her sister Blaise was T.O.G.F. And the third sister, Brenda, was T.Y.G.F.

The initials could mystify others. But the sisters knew what they meant: the middle girlfriend, the old girlfriend and the young girlfriend. The girlfriends ate oysters together at the Blue Water Grill in Manhattan. The girlfriends even vacationed together ‹ in Paris.

Throughout her life, Ms. Cullinan, an assistant to the president at Cantor Fitzgerald who lived in Scarsdale, N.Y., seemed to have a knack for making a large group of friends feel as close as sisters.

"She was kind of like a girl's girl, a woman's woman," said her husband, Tom. Ms. Cullinan, 47, who had a long career in business, was in the middle of changing directions on Sept. 11.

She and her husband were married in the summer of 2000, and they had just begun filling out paperwork to try to adopt a child from China. She had also sent out applications to graduate schools to pursue a degree in clinical social work. "Maybe, one of these days, we'll get an acceptance letter," Mr. Cullinan said.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 4, 2001.


CULLINAN-Joan McConnell (nee Joudzevich). Loving wife, stepmother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend. Assistant to the President, Cantor Fitzgerald. Victim of the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. Joan was born in Brooklyn on August 12, 1954, and was a graduate of St. Vincent Ferrer High School in NYC and Pace University (Psychology 2001). Joan's business career included positions at AT&T, Merrill Lynch, Paine Webber, TeleTV, Lehman Brothers. Her husband, Tom Cullinan and stepsons, John and Will Cullinan of Scarsdale, NY; mother, Bee Savage Joudzevich of Annapolis MD; sisters Blaise Joudzevich of NYC and Brenda Green of Staten Island; brother-in-law Raoul Edwards, and nieces Caitlin and Allison Green of Staten Island, survive Joan. Joan was a most loyal and valuable friend to all who knew her. She was mentor and confidant to numerous women in business and personal areas. Joan recently made plans to enter graduate school to pursue a CSW degree to allow her to become a psychotherapist. She and Tom began the process to adopt a baby from China just days before her murder. Her love, humor, intelligence, caring and generous spirit will be forever with us. We love you Joanie, and we miss you. There will be a Mass of the Resurrection and Memorial Service at St. Paul's Church, 60th Street and Columbus Avenue, NYC at noon on Saturday, September 29, 2001. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Joan Cullinan Memorial Scholarship Fund 14 Whistler Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.