Joan Ann O'Brien

Joan Ann (Coyle) O'Brien of Fairfield CT passed away peacefully at home on December 25th, 2019 at the age of 86.
The oldest child of Alice & Ed Coyle, Joan grew up in Jackson Heights NY where she attended The Mary Louis Academy before starting work for the FBI in Manhattan. In 1955 she married Jim O'Brien and moved to Fairfield CT shortly thereafter where they raised their family. Joan pursued a career in real estate for several years with Fairfield County Real Estate before she & Jim founded Nutmeg Forest Products in 1977. Joan & Jim were faithful parishioners of St. Pius X Church and dedicated supporters of St. Catherine Center for Special Needs. While members of Brooklawn Country Club for many years, they forged some great life-long friendships.
Joan was an extremely caring person, great friend and as practical a person as you will ever find. She looked for the positive in every person she met and in all situations and always felt that "everything happened for a reason".
Survivors include her sister Diane Kerper of Florida and brother Jerry Coyle of CA, three children and their families: Bill and Sue, Dan and Janice, Cathy and Tom Porter along with 9 grandchildren: Jim, Patrick, Dan, Courtney, Bob, David, Taylor and Darren O'Brien and Thomas Porter, and 2 great-grandchildren Ellie and Mary Yakavonis. Joan was pre-deceased by her parents, sister Marilyn and her granddaughter Katie O'Brien.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, 834 Brookside Drive, Fairfield. Interment will follow in Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may greet the family Monday from 4-7 p.m. in the Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield.
The O'Brien family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers from Turtledove Home Care and Connecticut Hospice for making her last days as comfortable as possible.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Catherine Center for Special Needs, 760 Tahmore Drive Fairfield CT 06825. For information or to offer an online condolence please visit www.SpearFuneralHome.com