Joan was born July 27, 1956 in Biddeford, Maine, the third child of Louis and Marie Lachance.
Joan was born without some of the natural talents that most of us take for granted every day. However, she had special talents that were unique to her and her personality. She had an amazing memory for people, dates and events, and loved being around people. If she met you, you were her friend. If you were in her inner circle of friends and family, she never forgot your birthday or anniversary.
Joan saw things very simplistically and could be brutally honest in her assessments of people and issues. You always knew where you stood with her. She was not afraid to tell you that she thought you were a “good person” and, without saying a word you could tell when she didn’t agree with you or your opinion. However, she could forgive as quickly as she could take offense. She touched a lot of people in many ways and will be missed by many.
Very childlike herself, Joan particularly loved children and while she tried her hand at several jobs during her lifetime, she was particularly proud of the time she spent as a school crossing guard assisting children to cross the street near her parent’s home in Saco. She loved cartoons and was particularly fond of the SpongeBob SquarePants series. She loved stuffed animals and, at one time, her apartment was decorated with over 200 stuffed animals of various shapes and sizes.
Not blessed with an abundance of physical strength and stamina, her participation in the Special Olympics provided her with a sense of pride and accomplishment that she rarely had the opportunity to experience in other areas of her life. The medals she earned in these meets lit up her face like no other event in her life.
Her family would like to thank the myriad of people who have helped her over her lifetime. In particular, the social workers at Woodfords Family Services and other agencies who hung in there with her even while she could make their lives very difficult at times. They introduced her to many new adventures which were instrumental in improving the quality of her daily life. One such adventure was helping her conquer her childhood fear of “icky” things which enabled her to bait a hook and catch a fish on her own and truly experience all that the natural outdoors has to offer.
Joan was preceded in death by: her parents, Louis N. Lachance and Marie A. Lachance (Comtois); and her sister, Rita L. Lachance. Surviving Joan are: “Big” sister; Patricia Knight of Standish; “Big” brother, Michael Lachance of Cumberland; “Little” sister, Linda Cloutier of Biddeford; and “Little” brothers, Norman Lachance of Orlando, Florida, and Richard Lachance currently residing in Westbrook.
Visiting hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, 87 James St., Saco. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford.
To view Joan’s memorial page please visit www.cotefuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Special Olympics Maine, Attn: Phil, 125 John Roberts Road #5, South Portland, Maine 04106.
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