Joyce Joan "Jj" Muhonen

Joyce Joan ("JJ") Muhonen (nee Charron) of Denver, Colorado passed away on Saturday, July 29th, 2023, at the age of 78, following complications from a long illness. She is survived by her husband Daniel; daughter Jennifer and son Nicholas; grandchildren Kyleigh, Teodor and Isabel; brothers Peter and Leo; and her beloved dog Sam.
Joyce was born August 1, 1944 in Norwich, Connecticut, to the late Leo and Blanche Charron, the second child of three and their only daughter. She graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1962, followed by a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, settling afterward in the Washington, DC area. She built an impressive career as a computer programmer and systems analyst, proving herself in a field that was less open to women in those days. She was employed for most of her career by the Anne Arundel County (MD) Public Schools where she rose to become a senior manager, leading and mentoring many younger programmers.
In 1968 Joyce (by then she was called "JJ") met her future husband, Dan, at a birthday party he was throwing for himself; six months later they were married and remained happily wed for the rest of her life, raising their family in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC and in Calvert County, Maryland. Enjoying the nautical setting of Annapolis, Joyce and Dan relocated there after their kids left home, and expanded their circle of close friends.
After retiring, JJ and her husband found a new home in the southwest, relocating to Taos, New Mexico. She gave much of her time and energy to the Taos retirement community, as a museum volunteer, officer of the garden club, and founder of a book club with other women who shared her passion for literature. She also enjoyed travelling both to the beach and overseas, most often with Dan and with her dear friend Alicia. Above all of those interests, though, she derived the most joy in her later years from sharing in the lives of her grandchildren, who will miss her very much.
A calling hour will be held Thursday, August 24, 2023, from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the Woyasz & Son Funeral Home, 141 Central Ave, Norwich followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Occum, CT, Interment of ashes and a reception will take place at St. Mary Cemetery following the Funeral Mass.
The family asks that floral donations be sent to your local hospice or skilled nursing facility, to brighten someone's day in Joyce's memory. Please direct any monetary memorial donations to the Denver Botanic Gardens.
Woyasz & Son of Norwich, CT is assisting with arrangements.