January 16, 1931 – December 19, 2021
Born January 16, 1931, at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital in the Greenwood section of Wakefield, MA.
Joanne lived in Greenwood across from the Most Blessed Sacrament Church. Her parents, Arthur and Elva (Goddard) Tupper, lived on the corner of Main and Grafton Streets, at One Grafton Street. Joanne and John had two children, Dr. David J. Frey (now married to Susan Randolph-Frey) and Donald A. Frey, and the couple lived at that address until the early 1960s when they moved to 15 Drury Lane in Wakefield. They later gave birth to a son, Dale R. Frey (1963), and a daughter, Alexandria (1965). In 1974, the family moved to 701 Haverhill Street, Reading, MA, where Joanne lived out the remainder of her life.
Joanne and her husband cared for six foster children at their Grafton Street and Drury Lane homes.
Joanne was educated in the Wakefield School system, where she graduated from Wakefield High School in 1948. She later attended Vesper George School of Art until she graduated in 1951.
A professional artist, Joanne furthered her artistic studies under the tutelage of internationally famous artists Helen Van Wyk and Arthur Stafford. Joanne specialized in seascapes, landscapes and portraits and taught art for several years before she eventually retired.
Joanne was a life-long member of First Parish Congregational Church in Wakefield, following a long lineage of Tupper and Goddard relatives who also attended First Parish. She was baptized shortly after her birth on “Children’s Sunday” in 1931 and was confirmed on June 30, 1946.
Joanne is related to Rev. Thomas P. Tupper who, along with ten men from Saugus, founded the Town of Sandwich, MA in 1637. She was very proud of her Tupper lineage.
She was also proud of her Goddard lineage, where they had many relatives who were Congregationalists, who attended First Parish as well as Melrose Congregational Church.
Joanne married John O. Frey on June 14, 1953, and they were together until his death in October of 2000. Joanne leaves her beloved four grandchildren (Robert Brennan, Jeffrey Brennan, Nicholas Frey and Stephanie (Frey) Fortin, as well as her beloved sheltie, Mickey.
Joanne was selected to appear in the 1987 edition of Who’s Who in America. Professionally, she designed greeting cards for Wishing Well Greeting Cards of Everett, MA from 1951-1954. She worked for Sarrin Studios, Wakefield, MA from 1960-1996. She served on the Board of Directors of Hartshorne House in Wakefield as well as being a member of the Kosmos Club where she was a decorator for many years in the late 1990s. Joanne was also a member of the Collie Fancier League of New England.
Joanne served as an Assistant Director of the Boit Home for Women for several years beginning in 1996.
Her avocations, in addition to painting, were reading, walking, gardening, and learning about art history.
Her Funeral Service will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Thursday at 2:00 P.M. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the funeral home prior to the service beginning at 1:00 P.M. Interment, Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Parish Congregational Church, 1 Church St., Wakefield, MA 01880
