March 14, 1935 – November 5, 2024
Joan P. (Furio) Neary, of Reading, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday morning, November 5, 2024. She was 89 years of age.
She was married to her high school sweetheart, the late Donald Neary, who passed away in 1993.
Born and raised in Malden, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and the late Phyllis (Albanese) Furio.
Joan attended Malden Girls Catholic School and went on to graduate from Salem State Teacher’s College. Joan taught at the Belmont School in Malden, at the Humpty Dumpty Nursery School in Reading, and was a substitute teacher in Medford and Stoneham.
After she left teaching, Joan spent time working as a clerical in Woburn, as the Fuel Assistance administrator at Reading Town Hall, and most recently as a receptionist at the Reading Senior Center. She enjoyed many of the activities and events there and was a regular attendee at the exercise classes. Joan was a faithful and active member of St. Athanasius Church and rarely missed the coffee and donut social after Sunday Mass. Most of all, Joan loved spending time with her family and her many friends and enjoyed hosting backyard lobster bakes and barbeques around the pool every summer.
In addition to her husband, Donald, Joan was preceded in death by her son, the late Donald J. Neary, and her brother, the late Joseph Furio. Joan is survived by her son, Douglas J. Neary, and his longtime companion, Cheryl Duncan of Reading; her daughter, Lori Doughty, and her husband, Jay of Reading; her granddaughter, Brittany Neary of Billerica; and great-grandson, Carson. Visiting hours will be at the Douglass, Edgerley & Bessom Funeral Home, 25 Sanborn St. (cor. of Woburn St.) Reading on Wednesday, November 13, from 4:00-7:00 pm. The funeral will be held from the funeral home on Thursday, November 14, at 9:00 am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Athanasius Church, 300 Haverhill St., Reading, at 10:00 am. Burial will be at the Forest Glen Cemetery, Reading.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Joan’s memory may be made to the ALS Association, P.O. Box 37022, Boone, IA 50037, or at als.org
