Joanne M. (Walsh) McCann

Joanne M. McCann - a devoted wife, mother, nana, sister, aunt, and extraordinary nurse and caregiver, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2025, with her two loving daughters by her side.

Daughter of the late Michael Walsh and Helena (Lyons) Walsh, Joan was born on July 13, 1938 in Worcester, MA and was a life-long Worcester resident. Joan shared a wonderful married life of nearly 55 years with her adoring husband, the late Stephen J. McCann. Together Joan and Steve raised their two daughters, Betty Ann and Michele, who were, without question, the joy of their lives.

Joan’s early life was filled with family and friends – those near the Walsh’s Vernon Hill area two-family house on Providence Street, as well as a close-knit extended family. Joan, the younger of “Irish twin” look-alike daughters with dark hair and boloney curls, was never far from her dear sister Betty. Even much later in life Joan and Betty were known as look-alikes, this time with their matching short bee-hive hair styles.

A graduate of Ascension High School and Saint Vincent Hospital School of Nursing, Joan went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree from Boston College School of Nursing and her Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. She began her career at Saint Vincent Hospital where she made dear friends with whom she remained close for the rest of her life. The most important relationship to come out of her time there was her relationship with Steve, the love of her life, who was a patient at Saint Vincent Hospital when a neighbor set them up. The rest, as they say, is history.

Nursing was not just a vocation to Joan, it was a calling. Highly respected, she quickly transitioned to a management position as a Director at David Hale Fanning School of Practical Nursing. Joan’s skills caught the eye of the Superintendent of Vocational Schools who asked her to speak before the MA State Board of Health in Boston regarding impending cuts at nursing schools. Joan made local headlines for persuading the Board to allow David Hale Fanning to continue accepting two classes of Nursing students per year rather than cutting back to one.

The bulk of Joan’s career was spent as an Instructor of Nursing at Quinsigamond Community College. She worked tirelessly to be a role model and mentor for the next generation of nurses. A gifted and dedicated instructor, Joan regularly stayed up until 2 am preparing practicum lessons and then eagerly headed to the hospital at 5 am.

In her magical way, Joan was seamlessly able to give 100% to her job and give 110% to her family. When her daughters were students at Flagg Street School, Joan was there every Tuesday afternoon pushing the ice cream cart down the halls. Joan supported her girls’ education, and their countless hobbies and activities, always with joy and a smile. An exemplary mother, Joan instilled in her daughters the importance of family, kindness and respect.

To know Joan was to love her. A devout Catholic, Joan was an active and longtime parishioner, council member, and CCD educator at Christ the King Church where she was known as “Joanie” to her supper group friends. Joan lived the life of a true Catholic, in letter and spirit. She saw the good in everyone, was never judgmental, and was incredibly kind-hearted and giving. Joan’s genuine and welcoming smile could turn around a bad day in an instant. A truly selfless woman, Joan prioritized the needs of her loved ones; going so far as to move her family into a home next door to her own aging mother and aunts so that she could care for them while allowing them to remain in their home.

After retirement, Joan spent her time with family and friends and found immeasurable joy with her four grandchildren. Whether watching them on the soccer field, on stage, on the court, or on the course, Joan beamed with pride. Nana, as she was lovingly called, routinely “snuck” her grandchildren a treat or a $20 with a sly smile and a kiss on the cheek.

Joan leaves behind her two devoted daughters, Elizabeth “Betty” A. Blute and her husband, Robert III, of Worcester with whom she lived; and Michele M. Olbrys and her husband Greg, of Ridgefield, CT, as well as her four adored grandchildren, Robert “Bobby” S. and Jack W. Blute, and Lena M. and Cailin A. Olbrys.

Joan is also survived by her adoring sister, Elizabeth “Betty” A. O’Keefe of Worcester, MA with whom she shared the most special and unique sisterly bond. Best friends throughout their lives, Betty took Joan into her home after Steve’s passing, and lovingly assumed the role of caregiver as Joan’s health began to decline. The same selflessness which Joan exemplified throughout her life was demonstrated by her sister Betty and later by Joan’s daughters. As Joan’s needs became greater, Betty Ann moved her family into her own childhood home so that she and Michele could care for Joan in a place that was familiar and safe for her.

Joan also leaves behind two brothers-in-law and two sisters-in-law: Hon. Judge John S. McCann and his wife Suzanne of Westborough, Robert C. McCann and his wife Nancy of Boxford, Ellen M. McNally of Morris Plains, NJ, and Jeanne A. McCann and her husband Dr. H. Lee Bishop of Worcester, as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by four brothers-in-law and two sisters-in-law: Dr. James C. McCann Jr., Daniel E. McCann and his wife Judith H., Kathleen E. Benson and her husband William A., and Robert J. O’Keefe.

Joan was an angel on Earth and we know she is now an angel in heaven. Her family is so grateful that God was able to grant her last wish - to die peacefully at home, comforted by her daughters and her sister, and aware of their unending love.

The Blute and Olbrys families thank the staff and caregivers at JHC Hospice for their compassion and care in Joan’s final months.

There will be calling hours from 4 to 7 pm, on Friday, January 17 at the Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster St., Worcester. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at Christ the King Church, 1052 Pleasant St., Worcester on Saturday, January 18, at 11 am. Burial will follow in Saint John’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances in Joan’s name can be made to JHC Hospice, 646 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609 or the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/donate or 225 N. Michigan Ave. Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601.