Joy Ann Thompson

1930 - 2022

Joy Ann Thompson, 91, of Vernon, passed away quietly on Sunday, July 31, 2022.

Joy was born in Hartford on Aug. 17, 1930, to Fredrick and Ethel (Renstrom) Kapitke. Joy graduated from Weaver High School in 1948, where she was head cheerleader. She went on to attend the University of Connecticut and later worked at Southern New England Telephone Company, Pioneer Parachute Company, and in the insurance industry. A loving mother and grandmother, Joy will be remembered by her devotion to her family and community. Through her daughters, she volunteered with the Girl Scouts, the school library, and in school musicals coordinating costumes. She made sure to cultivate lessons of kindness, resourcefulness, and gratitude in her children, who feel that Joy embodied the spirit of her most distinguished compliment- she was "a true gem." Always inquisitive, Joy also enjoyed many years of traveling, gardening, reading, and painting.

Joy's spirit lives on through her children, Susan Regan of Manchester, Kathy Belcher and her husband, Steven of Vernon, Debra Paullisky and her husband, David of Bolton, and Beth Cioffi and her husband, David of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; her seven grandchildren, Christine Cherrone, Louis Cherrone and his wife, Natalia of New York, New York, Steven Belcher, Andrew Belcher and his wife, Jesse of Paulton, U.K., and Elizabeth, Matthew, and Katherine Cioffi of Lancaster; her sister Pamela Kapitke of Placerville, California; and her many nieces and nephews. She will also be missed by many friends she made at Welles Country Village. Joy is preceded in death by her beloved husband Gordon A. Thompson; her two brothers, Fredrick and Arthur; and her son-in-law, Louis M. Cherrone.

A celebration of life event will be held privately by immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Easterseals Capital Region and Eastern Connecticut.