Joan E. Everson

Joan E. Everson, age 84, of Chester Springs, PA, formerly of Havertown, passed away on February 20, 2024.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Edward and Carmen Theresa (née DeMarco) McGarvey.  

Joan was the beloved wife of the late William H. Everson; the loving mother of Alison Everson Malloy (Ed) and William Scott Everson (Rachel); the caring grandmother of Matthew, Samantha, Bridget, and Nathan; the dear sister of Kathleen Kelly, and the cherished aunt of Amy Gallagher.  She is also survived by her many loving cousins.  

Joan was the hostess who enjoyed having family and friends at her home. Her trademark was having a folding fan in her hands as she enjoyed a cool breeze on her at all times! Along with her folding fan, Joan was well known for always carrying a multitude of bags with her, filled with all kinds of things.  Her family nicknamed her “the bag lady” for when she came to visit, her grandchildren would be sent out to help her bring in all her bags.

Watching British TV shows was a favorite pastime of Joan’s, and anything British.  Joan loved to watch Jeopardy. Her friend, Sally, would talk on the phone each night right up until Jeopardy began.  They talked multiple times a day, and when Joan’s health declined, Sally greatly missed those special calls from her.  

Joan was known to be a very organized person before email and text messaging ever existed.  She was the organizer for her high school sorority, all of whom she loved dearly and they remained friends up until the end.  She would sit at the dining room table which would be filled with papers and post-it notes, making sure to verify dates and names of hosts for upcoming events. It took many days to accomplish, but she loved it. She enjoyed the personal touch of connecting with people.

Family was most important to Joan.  She enjoyed a close-knit family life growing up.  Joan would refer to Kathy as “the baby sister” because they were 10 years apart.  Joan loved giving a hand to Kathy by helping with her niece, Amy.  Joan took care of her husband, William, religiously during their entire marriage.  When he became hospitalized and sick for months, Joan never missed a single day with him.

Her children, Alison and Scott continued that love and care by ensuring that Joan saw one of them almost everyday during the past two years.

Her grandchildren Matthew and Bridget, Samantha and Nathan, brought joy to her life. She kept old photos of them and would pray for them each night.  She always had an overabundance of toys at her home for them and delighted in seeing them grow and be able to share in their activities. Her son-in-law, Ed, and daughter-in-law, Rachel, could do no wrong.  She loved them both dearly.  

Joan loved trips to Ocean City, NJ with her family, and visiting her friend Annamarie, and their long talks at her house. One of her favorite spots to visit was Kessler’s where she enjoyed an ice cream sundae, as it always reminded her of her late husband, Bill.

Although Joan’s body and mind were deeply depleted by the Alzheimer’s, she continued to bring her family joy, love, and above all precious memories.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing, Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 9:30 to 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart Church, 105 Wilson Avenue, Havertown, PA  19083, followed by her Funeral Mass, 10:30 AM.  Interment SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Joan’s memory would be appreciated to Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601, https://www.alz.org/.