Joan Sheila Greene-Kramer-Hopkins died on June 1, 2017, in Falmouth.
Joan was born in New York on April 15, 1932. Her mother, Betty Rubini, was a professional cellist; her father, Emanuel Greene, was a glazier. She attended Pace University in New York City, and studied for a career as a pianist.
She met her husband-to-be on Jones Beach, Long Island, during an incident of a purloined beach ball ransomed for her telephone number.
Irv, the beach ball thief, a native of Atlantic City, was a lifelong plastics man, and a fan of Chinese food and food (in that order).
With some help from Irv, Joan gave birth in year-and-a-half intervals to Beth, residing on Martha’s Vineyard; Scott, residing in Los Angeles; Pam, of Providence, R.I.; and car nut William, residing in Maynard.
The family of six moved from New York to a “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” house in West Orange, N.J., where they lived happily for many years.
When Irv died in December 1991, Joan moved to Martha’s Vineyard for five years, working at the Captain Flanders House as Polly Hill’s personal assistant, and with Donny Mills at Hillside Farms.
Visiting sister Sylvia in Florida, she met the dashing Jack Hopkins, a retired Kentucky lineman, fan of food, NASCAR, and country-western two-stepping. They married, and Joan moved to Orlando, spending her time with Jack traveling the country the RV way. After Jack’s death, Joan moved to Falmouth to be closer to family.
She leaves behind the aforementioned four children, six grandchildren, and a stepson, Michael. Joan also leaves behind friends from everywhere she lived. She will be missed so.
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