Joan DiChiaro

Joan DiChiaro, 78, of Providence, RI passed away on November 19, 2024. She was a devoted wife to her husband of 56 years, Richard DiChiaro, and spread joy and kindness to everyone she met. 

Joan was the daughter of the late Herman and Doria Lampinski and grew up in Johnston and Glocester, RI before attending Boston University, majoring in Physical Therapy. After marrying Richard, she raised her family in Smithfield and Lincoln and was an active force in the community where she staunchly fought to launch the first sexual abuse prevention program in the school system. She also served on the conservation commission for the town of Lincoln and championed restaurants to go smoke-free in Lincoln and statewide.

Joan was diagnosed with MS when she was 27 and decided that this disease would not define her future. She enjoyed nearly forty years of playing in a tennis league with friends and, with each spring, she threw herself into her passion for gardening and creating beautiful landscapes. Above all, she relished spending time with her family and her cherished friends and was a caregiver to many in need. 

Joan was an amazing mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughter Kristen DiChiaro of Wellesley, MA, and her husband Robert Bourgault and their two children, Olivia and Matthew, as well as Julia DiChiaro of Essex, VT, and her husband John Rowe and their daughter Allison. Joan also leaves behind her brother, Roy Lampinski of Billerica, MA, and her brother, Lee Lampinski, and his family of Houston, TX. Her caregivers (Lisa Collins, Henrietta Ilumoka, Saidat Adebanjo, Chelsea Bray, Kasey Washington, Maureen Lupino, and Nery Almonte) meant the world to her. They formed a special bond with Joan and were with her to the very end. 

In recent years, Alzheimer’s took away some of Joan’s memories but it didn’t diminish her smile or cheerful nature and she continued to live every day exuding kindness and grace. We will all miss her dearly but her legacy lives on through our memories and the lessons she taught us with the love she shared so freely.

Donations in Joan’s honor can be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society or the Alzheimer's Association. Services will be held privately for immediate family and a celebration of her life will be planned with friends in the coming months.