Joan Margaret (Hall) West

Joan Margaret West passed away on September 22, 2020 at Norwalk Hospital.  Joan was born on October 9, 1931 in London, England to Norman and Florence Hall.  She was predeceased by her younger brother, Roger, who passed away at the age of three.

Joan married Brian James Wellesley West in 1954 and raised three daughters.  The family moved to the United States in 1969.  Brian was employed with IBM which gave them many opportunities to travel the world, including assignments living in Italy and Hong Kong.

Following the death of her husband, Brian, Joan moved to Florida in 1987.  She resided there with her partner, Martin Sherwin, for the next thirty years continuing to travel extensively.  A few years after Martin’s death, she moved back to Connecticut in 2017 to be closer to her daughters.  Joan enjoyed traveling, painting and pottery in her younger years and reading and crossword puzzles later in her life.

Joan is survived by her three daughters, Debbie Bloom and husband Hillard Bloom, Julie Kurose and husband Ned Kurose, and Amanda West, all of Connecticut; sister-in-law Margaret Heintz of California; niece Suzanne O’Regan of South Africa; and nephews Jeremy O’Regan of South Africa, David O’Regan of England and Simon O’Regan of North Carolina.  She had eight grandchildren—Hillard, Justin and Chris Bloom; Jessica, Ashley and Stephanie Kurose; Austin and Max Dion—and seven great grandchildren.

A celebration of Joan’s life will be arranged at a later date when travel and gatherings are safe.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joan’s name to The Ocean Conservancy at donate.oceanconservancy.org  Online condolences can be made at  www.magnerfuneralhome.com