Joan Karen Boettcher

The Life of Joan

Chapter 1 The “Baby Boom”

It’s 1948, the world is rebuilding itself after the devastation of World War II. Those who have survived are busy replenishing the population and there is a “Baby Boom.” Josephine Myczkowski, the daughter of Polish immigrants has given birth to a baby girl in Brooklyn, New York. She and her husband Harold Sands name her Joan Karen Sands.

Joan is a bright and bubbly girl who grows up in a little white house on the corner of Terrace Boulevard in New Hyde Park, New York.

Chapter 2 The “Swinging 60s”

It’s the swinging 60s and miniskirts and the Beatles are all the rage. Joan is an athletic and popular student at New Hyde Park High School, where she is on the track and field team

Joan, being a little bit rebellious of her strict upbringing, puts on a mini skirt, leather boots and throws on her favorite leopard print coat. She sneaks out of the house and meets her friend Linda. They have heard that the Beatles are landing at JFK and they go to meet them, along with thousands of other screaming fans.

Joan and Linda stand in a fountain and pose for a picture. Their secret doesn’t last long as that picture was printed in the newspaper and famously titled “The Fountain of Youth Overflows.”

It’s 1966 and Joan also has her eye on the paperboy who comes around to deliver the daily paper. His name is Paul Boettcher. It ends up that he lives right around the corner. They start dating and fall madly in love. Paul loves Joan’s captivating smile and classic 60s flip hairstyle. Joan really digs Paul’s forest green Corvette.

Joan graduates from high school and moves on to Woods Secretarial School on Park Avenue, NYC, where she learns the skills of shorthand note taking, typing, and how to dress to impress.

She dons her chic suit and her matching hat and gloves and heads out for her first job interview at Borden in New York City. She gets the job and finds herself working as secretary to a top executive in the company, commuting daily into New York City.

While she is still working, she starts night school at St. John’s University in Jamaica Queens where she starts a course of study in anthropology.

In September 1969 Joan’s life changes when she marries Paul. They settle together in a little apartment in Flushing, Queens and find they have a child on the way. Joan focuses on building a family and helping Paul to build his career.

Chapter 3 The 1970s

On a cold March night in 1970, Joan tells Paul it’s time to go to the hospital. Through the sleet and the rain they arrive just in time and their first daughter Kerry Lynn is born.

The young family moves to an apartment in Ridgewood Queens and three years later a second daughter, Krista Joan is born.

Joan is proud of her role as wife, mother, and homemaker. The family move out of the city and they live in Landing, New Jersey and then Monroe, Connecticut.

Chapter 4 The 1980s and 90s

Joan experiences both good times and hard times during the decades of the 80s and 90s.

First, Joan’s father Harold passes away in 1989 after a long illness. Josephine moves in with the Boettcher family in Monroe, Connecticut and Joan takes care of her mother, whose health is also declining. Josephine dies in 1993.

Joan waves goodbye to her first daughter Kerry as she flies the nest for university. A few years later, Krista follows, and Paul and Joan become empty nesters.

After a job relocation for Paul, the couple once again move and find themselves in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

But then tragedy strikes as the family learns that youngest daughter Krista has a brain tumor. Joan dedicates herself to caring for Krista during her illness.

Chapter 5 The New Millennium

2011 brings both heartache and happiness. In May, Krista sadly passes away after 13 years of fighting brain cancer.

But good times always balance out the bad, and in August of the same year, Kerry gets married in England, where she has been living for many years.

Chapter 6 Conclusion

Joan rode the crazy, roller coaster of life and all its ups, downs, thrills, spills, dips, dives, twists and turns until Friday July 16, 2021. She is survived by her husband Paul Joseph Boettcher and her daughter Kerry Lynn Boettcher.

Relatives and Friends are invited to her visitations on Monday, August 2, 2021 from 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. 410 North Church Street West Chester, PA 19380, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com; followed by her Funeral Service at 1:00 pm. Livestreaming of her Funeral Service can be found at the following link: https://youtu.be/fckjuHUFRJY

Interment will be at Birmingham Lafayette Cemetery, West Chester, PA following the service.

Please take every step to prevent transmission of COVID and other viruses and practice social distancing and handwashing. Please feel free to wear a mask if you wish.

Arrangements by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. of West Chester, PA, West Chester, PA 19380610-696-1181; www.DellaFH.com.