Joan Suzanne Heckler Gillings

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

My wife Arlene and I always remember her gracious warmth and hospitality when we visited her flat in London and our train tour of Brighton Beach with Dennis

Dr Jim Cappola
Chapel Hill NC

Joan was one of the first people I met when we moved to Chapel Hill from New Orleans in 1977. She was our realtor, found us our home, and became a good friend. Along with several other couples, Joan was part of our Renaissance dinners, when we dressed up in Medieval costumes, cooked Medieval dinners that were researched and even played games from the time period. In tough personal times for me, Joan was there as a support and friend. Susan stayed with us in the early days of Quintiles, when...

Joan’s generosity and mentorship meant the world to me as a young Executive Director. Her incredible support helped our small nonprofit to grow and thrive—and now provides music and mentorship to hundreds of children! I will be forever grateful for and inspired by her passion for helping others and making a difference. My deepest condolences to all of her family and loved ones.

Loved seeing Joan at the Quintiles office, meetings all over the world and at church. She always had a friendly hello for me and was fiercely proud of her children and grandchildren. Prayers for comfort from me for the family.
Love, Susan Thomason

That video! Joan was such a beautiful force and will be missed by so many. Omar and I are sending our love to all of you. Enjoy your time together tonight and reminisce on her life, filled with so much love and acts of goodness. We love y’all. xx

Joan's generous and loving spirit lives on in her children and Grandchildren!

We love to see Joan's grandchildren Emma, Lily, and Owen come to our front door in Bradley Creek Point neighborhood. The girls look much like their grandmother.