Haverhill: Joan C. (Belanger) Poley, 83, a native and lifelong resident of Haverhill, died October 23, 2019 at Lawrence General Hospital.
The daughter of the late Arthur C. and Betsy (Fyfe) Belanger, she attended the Tilton School and was active as a drum majorette. She was also a member of the Haverhill High School Class of 1955, where she again performed as a drum majorette, all four years.
On June 2, 1957 she married the love of her life James Poley, and together they raised their four children in Haverhill. She was a devoted wife and mother and she and Jim recently celebrated their sixty-second wedding anniversary
Joan was employed for several years at Western Electric Co. of North Andover and later in food services at the Student Union of Bradford College, and finally as the Supervisor of Food Services at the Student Union of Phillips Andover Academy.
Joan had a passion for the Boston Red Sox and loved nothing more than sitting with Jim having a glass of wine while watching her team. She loved animals especially her two dogs Lucy and Louie. She was the typical "hockey mom", cheering on her sons at their games and making sure they got to their practices no matter the time of day. Joan was known and loved for her quick wit, zest for life, fire in her heart, and her kind and compassionate spirit. Some of her greatest memories were spent during the eighteen years the family traveled to their camp in Denmark, Maine, and in her travels to St. Maarten. You could always count on Joan to have a good time, make you laugh, and always maintain a clean house.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband James K. Poley, two daughters, Deborah A. DeBlois and her life partner, John "Jake" Hamel of Bradford, and Cheryl A. Poley and her significant other Dana Paquette of Bradford, two sons, Robert J. Poley and his wife Lynn of Bridgton, Maine and Shawn A. Poley and his wife Robyn of Rochester, a brother, Arthur C. "Sam" Belanger of Virginia, seven grandchildren, Tiffany, Nicole, Amy, Jason, Angel, Cheyanne and Jami, eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Theresa Mackey.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Joan's Life Celebration to be held on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Berube-Comeau Funeral Home, 47 Broadway, Haverhill. Her funeral will be held on Wednesday at 9 a.m. from the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in All Saints Church, 120 Bellevue Avenue, Haverhill. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to The Nevins Farm, 800 Broadway, Methuen, or to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. To send a message of condolence to the family, please visit www.berubecomeau.com.