Joan "Gigi" A (Cooley) Gochee , VRHS Class of 1950
Delmar - Joan A. Gochee, age 90, of Delmar, passed away on Thursday, May 11, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Albany, to parents Elbert and Mary (Burns) Cooley, who raised their children in Rensselaer. She later would move to Delmar where she lived most of her life. Joan graduated Van Rensselaer High School and was later employed as an Administrative Assistance by Dunne Agency in Troy, NY. Our beloved "GiGi" was an amazing mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She was active in her church and was a member of the St. John Alter Society, as well as, the choir at St. John the Evangelist in Rensselaer for many years. Joan loved animals, especially her cats, and there were many of them. She fed nearly every bird in the Delmar area, along with the squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, turkeys and even skunks. She was also a skilled organist and enjoyed playing it very much. In 1971 , Joan married the love of her life Harry O. Gochee. They were known to play many a game of Blackjack and loved traveling to Atlantic City in New Jersey. Joan also liked visiting local casino's, with her dearly departed friend Flora. Joan is survived by her daughter Susan (Michael) Kanter; her sisters, Marjorie, Elizabeth, Francis and Rita; her grandchildren Jamy (Evelyn) Alcombright, Josh (Andrea) Alcombright; great-grandchildren Lexi Alcombright, Ollie Alcombright; beloved nephew Ray Jr. and nieces, Geraldine Wilcox, Rita Hoyda and Jeanette Mercurio. Joan is predeceased by her husband, Harry Gochee, and her parents Elbert and Mary Cooley.