Joan E. Bajowski

Joan E. Bajowski

Joan Bajowski passed away peacefully on September 26, 2021, at her daughter’s home at the age of 86. She was born in Chicopee to the late Omer and Florence Laferriere. Joan was a graduate of Holy Name High, Burbank Hospital School of Nursing, Fitchburg State College, Boston University and Westfield State College. She served in the Massachusetts Air National Guard and United States Air Force as a Nurse General and served in France during the 1961 Berlin Crisis. Joan began working as a registered nurse before she pivoted to a career in education. She taught health and family living at Chicopee High School. She was appointed by the Massachusetts Board of Education to the Health Education Advisory Council. At the time of her retirement in 1998 she was the Coordinator of Health and Human Services for the Chicopee Public School System. Her passion was developing curriculum and life skills-based risk prevention programs for at-risk youth. While her career centered around education, the most important part of Joan’s life was her adventures with family and friends. In 1966, she married Theodore Bajowski and they built their home in West Springfield where they raised their daughters Lynn and Karen. She and Ted traveled the United States and loved to explore the back roads of New England and Florida where they spent their winters. Joan enjoyed camping and skiing and loved sharing these activities with her family. Her fondest memories included cross country camping with Betty Bonnallie, summers at Cards Camp, skiing at Springfield Ski Club, back-packing through Europe, and excursions to NYC with her sisters Ann and Elaine. Living life with confidence, quick wit, she enjoyed lunch with her sisters and friends and was always ready for a glass or two of wine and a good laugh. Joan’s greatest joy was her family. She loved hosting family gatherings, especially Thanksgiving. She could be counted on to be at every birthday, graduation, wedding, and she was ready to celebrate the biggest (or smallest) achievements with no notice. Her warm smile, strength and selflessness will be deeply missed. She is survived by her daughter Lynn Gordon and her husband Andrew, sister Elaine Morin and her husband Tom, as well as her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was predeceased by her husband Ted, daughter Karen, sister and brother-in-law Ann and Edward Rahilly. Family and friends are invited to a Funeral Mass on Friday, Nov. 26th at 9:30 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Springfield. Committal with military honors will follow at the Massachusetts Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at www.alzfdn.org.