Joan S Nazare

Joan Nazare ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Browning-Forshay Funeral Home - Hawthorne on Mar. 2, 2026.Nazare, Joan Shirley (nee: Joan Shirley Kneis), our beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend passed away peacefully in the early hours of March 1, 2026. She was 90 years old. Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Joan later moved to North Haledon where she and her husband, Fred have lived for more than 60 years. They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary on September 1, 2025. She worked as the purchasing manager for HK Metalcraft in Lodi, New Jersey for 25 years before her retirement in 2001.Joan was a very social person with an infectious laugh you could hear across the room. It left everyone she encountered feeling joyful. Joan loved throwing a party for large gatherings of family and friends. She was a great cook and knew how to feed a crowd at the backyard BBQs she organized every summer. Her family was fortunate to be treated to dinners of their favorite dishes. Once, she went so far as to take a beef in wine sauce meal on the plane with her to Salt Lake City, to feed her son Dave and his friends, much to their delight.Joan enjoyed staying out late and playing cards with a group of women that her husband Fred nicknamed "The Barracudas". But her favorite thing was playing like a little kid with the youngest family members over the years. Her dear nieces and nephews began referring to her as "Crazy Aunt Joan" and the nickname stuck.Joan was happy snowbirding every year at her winter home in Jupiter, FL where she made many friends and soaked up the sun on her daily walks beside the ocean. In the spring, she was always glad to return to her family and friends back home. She could often be seen walking through the neighborhoods of North Haledon, greeting everyone she met with her beautiful smile.Joan is survived by her husband Fred Nazare, son David Nazare (Betsy Allison-Nazare) of Park City, Utah and granddaughter Rachel Nazare (Dylan Mueller) of Salt Lake City, UT. She was predeceased by her sister Rosalie Bentele and brother Emil Kneis. She also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews and their extended family members.Joan's family would like to thank the staff at Arden Courts in Wayne for the kindness and compassion they provided her these past four years.Cremation will take place privately. A funeral service will be held at 3:30pm on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Browning-Forshay Funeral Home, 557 Lafayette Avenue, Hawthorne. Friends may visit with the family prior to the service on Saturday from 1:00pm - 3:30pm.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.