Joan Marie Guyette Kavanaugh Thomas Winter

Joan Marie Guyette Kavanaugh Thomas Winter, 87, of Lititz, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2023. Born in Kingston, she was the daughter of the late Leland Stanford Guyette and Anna Adelaide (Keller). She was married to the late Arthur Howard Winter.

Joan graduated from St. Mary’s High School, Wilkes-Barre, PA in 1954. In 1957 she graduated from the nursing program at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre. She then earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education from College Misericordia, Dallas, PA in 1969. She worked as a Registered Nurse for several years at several hospitals to include Mercy Hospital and College Misericordia in Pennsylvania, Yonkers General Hospital in New York, followed by Carmel Peninsula Hospital, Grace Community Hospital, Valley Doctor’s Hospital and as a nurse in the Motion Picture industry in Hollywood, California respectively. In 1965 she returned to Pennsylvania and worked in Obstetrics and Labor and Delivery and then worked for R. C. A. as an industrial nurse. In 1969 she graduated from College Misericordia in Dallas with a B.S in Nursing Education. She then went on to pursue her Masters Degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore graduating in 1975. She became a Family Therapist at Friendship House Children’s Center in Scranton PA where she worked for many years. During that time she was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatric Nursing and taught Psychiatric Nursing Theory at Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, PA. From 1977 -1982 she was a Professor of Psychiatric Nursing Lecture and Clinical for senior year students at College Misericordia in Dallas, PA and also served as academic advisor for all nursing students. After teaching she worked as a family therapist in Scranton, PA until her retirement in 1996. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society for Nursing. She was on the Professional Advisory Committee for the Mental Health Center in Scranton. She also was a Sojourner for the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in her retirement.

She enjoyed spending as much time as possible with her grandchildren, reading, travel, gourmet cooking, writing poetry, painting, music and the arts. She also treasured her pets over the years, especially her beloved cat, Daisy. A lover of nature, Joan always felt most at home in the mountains, especially on her many trips to Alaska and in her Pennsylvania home in the Poconos. She was an extraordinary nurse who extended her God-given gift of nursing care, compassion and empathy to everyone and in all aspects of her life. An artist within, she had a flair for fashion and loved expressing her artistic side in delightful ways. Joan was devout in her faith and devoted to Jesus and the Blessed Mother. Above all she was a devoted daughter, sister, cousin, mother, wife, grandmother, aunt and friend. She loved all her children, their spouses and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and her mantra always was and always will be “love is the essence of my beingness.”

Joan is survived by 4 children: Kitty Kavanaugh, Kelly Kavanaugh, Molly Blevins, and Joanie Zigmond; 4 stepchildren: Skip Winter, Jennifer Winter, Jeff Thomas, and Dan Thomas; fifteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by Her late spouses, Leonard Charles Kavanaugh, James Morgan Thomas, and Arthur Howard Winter