Joan B. Edwards Obituary (1934 - 2021)

Joan Yvonne Berry was born to Edward James Berry and Marie Jasper Berry on June 16, 1934 in Washington DC. The family migrated to New York and resided in Harlem where Joan attended school and graduated in 1952 from George Washington High School in the Washington Heights area of New York City. Quite the singer, with an opera style voice, she was in the glee club while attending high school. Joan married Walter E. Edwards, an Army war veteran. They resided in Harlem and a child Mary Ellen was born to them on September 4, 1955. Joan went on to work for Reuben H. Donnelley, an advertising company in downtown New York City. She retired as a Sales Manager for the company, in 1995 after 40 years of service. Joan was interested in travel and became an independent travel agent. One trip, a travel agents trip, that she spoke of often was a trip to Senegal. Joan was also the President in the organization Friends of St. Emma. St. Emma is a Boys Academy in Virginia her father graduated from. Additionally, Joan was a member of the National Council of Negro Women New York, where she gave many years of service to this organization. In 1972, Joan and her family moved to the North East area of the Bronx, in the Mitchell Lama Housing Development of Co-op City. Joan resided there until her passing on December 7, 2021 Raised in a devout Catholic home, Joan was a member of St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Co-op City. Affectionately known as JoJo to those close to her, a name she really gave herself for her grandchildren to call her. An amazing cook, she prepared Holiday dinners through out the years for family and friends, An avid reader of novels and curling up with the Sunday Time's Newspaper. A lover of music, in particular Jazz music. Fishing with her dad, her daughter and even the grandkids when they came along. In retirement, Joan walked the many stretches of Co-op city and joined a few of the senior clubs and activities, where she had the opportunity to do more traveling for fun. Joan leaves to mourn her daughter Mary; granddaughter Monique Joy; grandson Edward-Charles; their respective spouses Abass and Tiffany; great-grandchildren, Ashaa, Raymond, Malachi, Noah, Eli and Ashton; her cousins, Cynthia, Cathy and Brian of Chicago; lifetime friends, Andre F. Baker, Grace Murray and Thelma Wells; godson, Douglas Willoughby; two very special retired healthcare workers who were her neighbors and ultimately cared for her daily until her passing, Valerie Ellington and Mary Hixon. We will miss her and are grateful for her life and all the memories she has left in this life. Lovingly submitted, Mary, Monique and Edward