Joan Houseman-Jenks

8/3/1935 - 5/18/2023

Niantic - Joan Houseman-Jenks, of Niantic, died Thursday, May 18, 2023, at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown.

Joan was born in New London Aug. 3, 1935, the daughter of Joseph Henry and Helen Valentine (Thompson) Faraci. She was the wife of Frank M. Jenks who survives her.

Joan spent her childhood and most of her adult life living in Niantic, where "Joan's Rock" remains on the shore of the Pattagansett River.

Joan attended The Williams Memorial Institute (Williams School), followed by Connecticut College (Class of 1957) for her bachelor's degree, and received her master's degree from the University of New Haven.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son, Craig Jones (spouse, Deborah) of Lakeland, Fla.; daughter, Hilary Goduti (spouse, Emil) of Haddam; three grandchildren, Amelia Goduti, Ashley Norris, and Courtney Silvia; and six great-grandchildren.

Joan's professional careers spanned many decades in research and human resources management including work at Electric Boat, Applied Psychology Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut, and UCFS of Norwich.

She was widely known for her intelligence and published on several occasions, including co-authoring "Research on generalized skills related to tactical decisions making", U.S. Navy Training Device Center Report NAVTRADEVCEN TR 1329-2, 1966; "Ways to Help the Widowed", The New York Times, January 29, 1984; and more recently, her books "The Route to Family Wisdom" and "They Just Kept Going…Resilience in 17th and 18th Century Great-grandmothers".

Joan was active in community matters, with her special enthusiasms dedicated towards lineage and historical organizations. She was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Connecticut; the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she had been Regent at the DAR Faith Trumbull Chapter in Norwich; the Colonial Dames of the XVII Century; and, the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne. She had volunteered as a docent at Niantic's Lee House and Old Lyme's Florence Griswold Museum.

Joan's passions were in caring for and expanding her doll collection, which she started as a child, and her cats, most of who were rescued by her at some point in their lives.

Calling hours are from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 26, at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons East Lyme Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic. A Holy Eucharist of Christian Burial will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 27, at St John's Episcopal Church, 400 Main Street, Niantic followed by interment in West Neck Cemetery, Waterford.

In lieu of flowers, Joan would want any contributions made to the Old Lyme Animal Shelter, the Connecticut Humane Society, or the American Lung Association.

Condolences may be left on Joan's memorial page at www.neilanfuneralhome.com.