Joan Sprague's Obituary
Joan Wright Sprague, born on February 24, 1928, entered heaven’s gates on July 10, 2020 after fighting a broken heart and health complications.
Joan was married to Lawrence Baldwin Sprague who predeceased her on October 8th, 2005. They lived in Scotch Plains, NJ during their employment years and spent their retirement years in Hilton Head Island.
Joan is survived by three children: Tracy Sprague Byrnes and her husband, Bob, of Davidson, NC, Jeffrey Sprague and his wife, Karen, of Flagler Beach, FL and Richard Sprague and his wife, Joanne of Scotch Plains, NJ. Joan is also survived by nine grandchildren; Jeffrey Byrnes(wife, Leah), Morgan Byrnes Grayson,(husband, Ryan), Cory Byrnes, Tiffany Sprague Jensen(husband, Aaron), Michael Sprague(wife, Sianne), Katie Sprague Panza(husband, Peter), Christopher Sprague(wife, Lisa), Gail Sprague, Taylor Sprague, and five great-grandchildren: Liam, Cole & Jordan Jensen, Gabriella Sprague, Sara Panza. Plus, two nephews who loved her dearly: David and Eric Hansen.
As well as caring for her family, Joan was a very independent woman. She created a pre-school program at her local YMCA and directed the program’s growth until her retirement in 1983. She was an avid community volunteer at the Scotch Plains Thrift Shop and the Hilton Head hospital auxiliary. Her hobbies included time at the New Jersey shore, caring for her many animals, reading, playing golf, and taking care of her grandchildren.
At Joan’s request, there will be no funeral services or ceremony. If you would like to make a donation in her honor, some of her favorite charities were Cancer Research, https://www.cancerresearch.org; Hilton Head Humane Society, http://www.hhhumane.org, and the Scotch Plain-Fanwood YMCA, https://fspymca.org.
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