Obituary of Joan Eleanor Barranger

My sister, Joan Eleanor Barranger, has gone to be with our Heavenly Father, His Son Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, the angels and saints, and our family in Heaven. Joan was born on March 4, 1937 to our wonderful parents, Margaret Eleanor Barford Lynch and George William Lynch, Jr. in Philadelphia, PA.  She is survived by her children Jacqueline Ardron Melin and George Francis Ardron, her granddaughter Rose, her grandson Michael and her great-grandaughter Emma Rose, as well as Jacque’s husband Scott Melin.  Joan is also survived by her sister, Carol Lynch Johnson, her husband Craig Johnson and their family, as well as her brother Bill’s family. This included two very special nieces, Tara and Regina, and six wonderful nephews, Terrence, Erik, Carl, Bill, Jr., Danny, and their respective families.

Joan passed on Wednesday, 08/12/2020. At her most beautiful service, Father Pat presided. His words and readings were so very personal, meaningful and uplifting! Joan was surrounded by local family and friends at Hiers-Baxley who made everything perfect! We were also able to connect with family and friends via Zoom. As her sister, I somehow delivered a eulogy that went like this:

“My sister Joan, and our brother Bill Lynch, were both truly my best friends. Our family has been through so much together, but it has only made us stronger through the Grace of God.

Joan was so very elegant in her style and was always a lady, as well as a devout Roman Catholic.

Joan graduated from St. Hubert's with highest academic honors in Philadelphia. She studied Latin and French. Joan was also a roving forward on their basketball team!

Joan was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, aunt, Godmother, and of course, sister!

Joan was always that girl who nailed her interviews and landed such corporate jobs starting as an Executive Secretary at Fleers Bubble Gum Corporation, and later at WIP radio in Philadelphia.

She had married young and worked extremely hard to help afford that first beautiful single, family home in Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, and later added the Sylvan swimming pool she envisioned for their yard!

Joan commuted by train into Philadelphia each day to WIP Radio. Later, she became an executive for the Sheraton Hotel in the city, as well.

Joan was also a professional model in the Models' Guild of Philadelphia, which was quite a select group of young women of beauty and character! Joan lit up every room she entered. And could she talk, and capture an audience with her personality!

Meanwhile, Joan provided the most wonderful, loving care for her two most precious gifts from God..her children, George and Jacqueline. Joan admired Jacqueline Kennedy so much.. thus her daughter's name! Her son, George, was named after our awesome dad, George W. Lynch!

Over the following years, Joan had a number of career opportunities that moved her between Florida and California.

Joan and her family had relocated to the San Francisco Bay area due to her husband's corporate transfer, and eventually returned to Northeast Philadelphia where the rest of our family resided.

Joan became the first female GM in Orange Park, FL and soon was promoted to Regional Manager for the Sambos Corporation, based in Santa Barbara, California.

I remember Joan visiting my family and me in the Cocoa Beach area where we lived. As she was always working, she decided that we should stop by one of her restaurants she had in her region of Florida supervision.

As we were approaching the restaurant, the night lights were not on, the marquis was not illuminated. It was obvious that this Sambos location was not looking to invite potential patrons!

Joan walked in and found the manager sitting back in the kitchen with his feet up on the desk, enjoying a phone conversation. The kitchen floor drain area was not clean, and the restaurant needing managerial intervention. Nothing was as it should have been. Joan immediately took his store keys and dismissed him. He was fired!

She put our family to work with the existing staff on duty. We were clearing tables and serving orders. Our mother was put in charge of collecting the money at the register! Joan saved this location from ultimate, corporate failure.

After years of successful, regional management, Joan was selected to open Feather Sound Country Club as their first Director of Catering, Food and Beverage. She had a great team and Feather Sound continued to flourish in membership.

At one point, Joan had the honor to design menus and presentations for visiting First Lady Rosalyn Carter at Host International in Tampa! Joan was Mrs. Carter's personal escort and contact for all details of the White House visit. Working with Secret Service was quite an experience and one that Joan would not ever forget!

Joan's work had also taken her to Rosie O'Grady's at Church Street Station in Orlando and Henderson, Nevada. She worked for the MGM Grand.

Joan eventually opened the very first catering business and restaurant in the new Irvine Spectrum Center in Southern California. She named it Kate Kennedy's and like Joan, it was first class!

Years later, Joan sold the business to be able to spend less time on her feet, as her knees were becoming problematic. Joan had bought a new home in South Miami to live near my family and me in the Florida Keys. We had many good times taking our dive boat out to the reef! Joan loved snorkeling on the surface, while I trained divers below. We would tie up and dock, then go shopping at clothing boutiques and would be known to  dine at dockside cafes and a special Tiki Bar!

Nearing retirement, Joan returned to Southern California where her family lived, and joined the ranks of the ILWU local 63, at the Port of Long beach, in Los Angeles County, California. There, she worked in Homeland Security clearing international ships approaching the Port. She worked for Maersk Line for a number of years, until her medical needs were mounting and eventual retirement in The Villages was calling her! Joan was very strong-willed and strong enough to survive three different cancers, three different times! She even survived open-heart surgery some years ago!

In more recent times, my husband Craig, became my sister's primary caregiver and confidant. Even though the recent years were challenging at times, I feel fortunate to have many excellent memories of my sister. We had two very special sister trips together. One was to the Grand Cayman Islands, where we always joked about the fact that Joan shopped all day while I went scuba diving!

The other getaway was our trip to Ireland where Joan promised me a steak dinner at "Dirty Nellie's" beside Bunratty Castle, if I turned our car around and drove back down the mountain towards Connemara and Galway. She said "conditions were deteriorating" that day as we climbed in altitude towards Kylemore Abbey in the clouds!

We stayed in NYC on both sides of our holiday and just had a blast! We have the pictures to prove it!

And oh yes, many years earlier, my husband, Craig, invited Joan and Roland on our honeymoon to Maui! A good time was had by all!

Joan's greatest love in life however, was her children, George and Jacque, her grandchildren Rosemary, Michael and baby Joann, and her most special great-grandaughter, Emma!

Her daughter, Jacque, surprised Joan recently with a beautiful, red, electric scooter! Joan just loved it! She only had a chance to try it out once in 'turtle mode' to play it safe indoors. This surprise made Joan so very happy in her final days!

I will always remember how my sister certainly broke more than one 'glass ceiling' in her lifetime!

Joan, may you rest in peace with our parents, brothers, family members, and the love of your life, Bill Barranger, in God's Grace and comforting arms of our loving, Heavenly Father

..until we meet again,

My love always, Carol