Joan H. Corning
Joan Halloran Corning, a longtime resident of Darien, was born on November 6, 1931 and passed away peacefully on Friday, June 28, 2019 in Rhode Island, where she had been living since 2014.
Born in Stamford, CT, she was the daughter of John J. and Mary Duggan Halloran, and the wife of Edward P. (Bud) Corning, Jr. She grew up in Stamford, went to Classical High School in Worcester, MA and graduated from Wheelock College in Boston with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education in 1953. She taught second grade in Evanston, IL and at the Newfield School in Stamford.
Joan and Bud were married in 1956 at St. Luke’s Church and would have celebrated their 63rd anniversary on July 14, 2019. They raised their children in Darien, where they were members of Noroton Yacht Club.
Joan was active in childrelated community programs. She served as vice-president of the Hollow Tree School PTA, Middlesex Jr. High School PTA and was a member of the DHS Advisory Committee. She was past chairman of the Wheelock Club of Southern CT, a board member of the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk and of the Child Care Center of Stamford. She was a co-chairman of the School Tutorial and Enrichment Program (STEP) in Stamford and an advisor to the School Volunteer Program. She chaired the Youth Employment Service in Darien and served as Training Chairman for Darien Answers. She was a volunteer at the New Canaan Community Nursery School, Stamford Hospital, and in the DHS Guidance Department. She also tutored homebound students in Darien public schools. A member of the Wheelock College Alumni Board, Joan became a staff Admissions Counselor for Wheelock College in southern CT and Westchester. She hosted teas for prospective students at her home and visited area high schools to talk with students interested in a career working with children.
Joan was a member of the Darien Community Association. She was an avid reader; she loved good books and discussing them with friends and book groups. She enjoyed all children, and her greatest joy was spending time with her two grandsons. She loved beaches, garden tours, watercolors and good restaurants.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Libby DeMille of Cape Elizabeth, ME, a son, Ted Corning, and his wife Sandy of East Greenwich, RI, and grandsons Nate Corning of Somerville, MA and Andrew Corning of Seattle, WA. A private family gathering will be held in Rhode Island.
Memorial donations may be made to the Darien Library Children’s Dept. 1441 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820 or the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, 2 Silber Way, Office 243, Boston, MA 02215 (designated for the Wheelock Library).