Joan (Probst) Williams

Joan (Probst) Williams, age 89, died on December 11, 2017, from Alzheimer ’s disease at The Lutheran Home of Southbury, Ct.  Joan was born in Hempstead, NY, on August 26, 1928, to John and Katherine (Riley) Probst and was the eldest of their 10 children.  She spent her childhood primarily in Island Park.  She graduated high school from St. Agnes Academy in Rockville Centre in 1945.  After high school, Joan worked in Manhattan in various jobs in the fashion and garment industries, including for McCall’s magazine.  At age 25, she married Francis J. (“Mike”) Williams, Jr., also of Island Park.  They lived on the same street and had known each other in grammar school. 

Joan was nearly 6 feet tall, slender, and, like her 4 sisters, a beauty, and was always active.  In addition to raising 6 children, she was an expert gardener and couture seamstress, sewing virtually all of her own clothing.  The family moved from Island Park to Ct. in 1956, first living in Simsbury and later in Ridgefield.  In 1963, while living in Ridgefield, she and her friend Maureen Hackett opened the “Ridgefield Modeling Agency”, where they once handled a location magazine shoot for the British model Twiggy, then a worldwide phenomenon.  The family moved to Rockville, Md. in 1971 where Joan worked as an administrative assistant in various companies associated with flying.  During this time, Joan obtained a private pilot’s and an instrument rating license and enjoyed flying out of Frederick Airport in Md.  She also learned to ice skate and spent many happy years taking lessons.  She and Mike moved to Brookfield, Ct. in 1980 and, due to Mike’s job changes, back to Island Park for a few years, returning to Ct. in 1986, settling in Stamford where she remained until her death, 30 years of that time in a dearly beloved Victorian house, along with Mike, her adored dogs, the lovely gardens that she created there, and close by to caring neighbors.

She is survived by her husband Mike, of Woodbury, Ct., her twin daughters Katherine (Katie) Wagner, of Fairfax, Va., and Frances Kushner, and her husband Luke, of Annapolis, Md., her daughter Jeanne Malley of Woodbury, Ct., her son Patrick Williams, and his wife Lisa, of Forest, Va., her daughter Amy Williams of Woodbury, Ct., and her son Ben Williams, of Eugene, Or., six grandchildren, Ryan Wagner, Austin Wagner, and his wife Lauren, Caroline Waller, and her husband John, Katie Williams, Robert Kushner, and Michael Kushner, one great-grandchild, Kaiden Tyler-Kushner, and bichon frise Ben and poodle Louie. She is also survived by her five brothers, John Probst, Robert Probst, Thomas Probst, Gene Probst, and Peter Probst, and three of her sisters, Patricia Sannella, Dorothy Costello, and Kathleen McGann, and 42 nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her sister Anita Verene Pansmith.

Mike was Joan’s loving caretaker for years before she entered nursing home care and was a daily presence during the almost 2 years she was at the Lutheran Home.  At age 91, he now volunteers twice a week at the Lutheran Home, spending time with residents and bringing residents back and forth to religious services.  Many thanks to the wonderful staff at the Lutheran Home who took very good care of Joan.

A memorial mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Island Park on Saturday, June 30th, at 10 a.m. 

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