Joan Cusack

1934 - 2016

Cusack, Joan
Joan passed away peacefully on April 22, three days after her 82nd birthday. Her husband and two sons were present as she took her last peaceful breaths. Joan was born April 19, 1934 in Auburn, Alabama. Her father, Gordon Jackson Fowler was from Riverside, Alabama and her mother Mary Louise Davis Fowler of Talladega, Alabama. Joan is survived by her husband of 58 years Patrick A. Cusack and two sons Luke and Jesse Cusack. Also two brothers Gordon Jackson Fowler Jr. of Birmingham, Alabama and Robert Fowler and wife Dianne of Montgomery, Alabama. When Joan's father went to work for Caterpillar Inc. the family lived in Fresno, California and Peoria, Illinois. Subsequently Mr. Fowler left Caterpillar and went to Montgomery, Alabama as the GM of the Caterpillar franchise there and Joan attended Auburn University. While attending college Joan spent summers working as a camp counselor at several prestigious camps for young girls. At Auburn she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. She graduated from Auburn with a degree in Education in 1956. After graduation Joan took a teaching position in Peoria, Illinois to be with her fiancé and future husband Patrick Cusack. Joan and Pat were married in Montgomery, Alabama on June 29th 1957. Son Luke was born in 1958 and they moved to Phoenix in 1959 where Pat began a 40-year career with the Caterpillar franchisee, Empire Machinery. Joan meanwhile taught first and second grades in the Alhambra School District. Joan loved teaching her little ones who vied for the great privilege of holding her hand on the way to lunch. Joan said all she had to do was put her hand on the head of a distraught child to ameliorate a bad moment. Joan left her teaching career to be a full time mother to son Jesse who came along in 1971. Joan had a magnetic personality and was equally comfortable with the elite or downtrodden. As Kipling said she could "Walk with kings-nor lose the common touch". Everyone remembered Joan with great fondness even years after last seeing her. She was an exceedingly spiritual person with a strong belief in God reflected in nature and especially in animals. Joan's "signature" was always a ready joke to anyone she met…waitress, hardware store man, whomever. She said God wanted her to make people happy, though Alzheimer's caused her to repeat the same joke in a matter of minutes. Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease five years prior to her death. During those five years, the disease advanced extremely slowly. Unlike many victims of this hideous disease, Joan never suffered a day of depression in her life. She was always upbeat and constantly talking about how happy and blessed she was. The family is extremely comforted that Joan's peaceful death is a blessing considering she avoided the terrible effects common to the latter stages of Alzheimer's. The family wishes to express its gratitude to Dr. Pierre Tariot, Director of Banner Alzheimer Institute, and his staff, who treated Joan. Additional thanks to the John C. Lincoln Stroke Treatment Unit personnel that were outstanding in every way. And finally our appreciation to the Hospice of the Valley unit at Sherman Home in Scottsdale who cared for Joan in her last days. Joan requested that there be no services. She would be happy to be remembered in any gift to charities for animals such as One Dog Arizona at 3416 S. Felix Way Chandler, AZ 85248 or (480) 430-7076.