Obituary: Joan Dayton, 72, of Londonderry

Joan E. Dayton, 72, of Londonderry, passed away July 25, 2020 as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Joan was born in Rutland on June 30, 1948 the daughter of the late Clarence and Rose Barone Dayton. Joan attended schools in Rutland and graduated from Leland & Gray High School in Townshend.

Joan earned her Associate’s Degree from St. Joseph’s Business College in Rutland while raising her two young sons. For about 10 years, she practiced her business profession with First Vermont Bank in Brattleboro and for many years was office manager/bookkeeper at the Stove Depot in Londonderry and Rutland.

Joan was known in the community as “the nicest Delinquent Tax Collector” for the Town of Londonderry. She served as Guardian ad Lietum for several children and found her true passion for serving others with her volunteer work at Neighborhood Connections.

She loved being a member of the Lions Club, where she enjoyed coordinating events with friends and neighbors. Joan was passionate once she found golf and enjoyed playing many rounds with family and friends throughout the years in Florida and Vermont.

Her zest for creating art projects, researching her ancestry, and growing plants in her newly acquired green house (a perfect gift from Craig and Sarah) are a few of the passions she found during her retirement. Joan cherished her winters in Florida with Center, family and friends and was heard saying how grateful she was to be able to live the life she and Center Merrill had found together.

Joan is survived by her partner Center Merrill of Londonderry, her children Jason Walker and his wife Kim of New Brighton, Penn., and Brad Walker and his wife Jennifer of West Newton, Mass., stepchildren Craig Merrill and his wife Sarah of Morganton, N.C., Cliff Merrill of Kempner, Texas, and Chad Merrill and his fiancé Holly of Shelburne.

She is also survived by siblings Patricia Roberts and her husband Doug of Londonderry; Sandy Parker and her husband Charlie of Weston; Donna Williams of Peru; Kathy Dayton and her husband Michael Mell of Cold Spring, N.Y.; Bill Dayton and his wife Jodie of Jamaica, Vt.; and Ron Dayton and his wife Janice of Wilmington, N.C.  Joan is also survived by 13 grandchildren: Sarah, Emily, Emma, Nate and Nolan Walker; Jessica, Caitlyn, Audrey, Alyssa and Ryan Merrill; and Heather, Andy and C.J. Ishu, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 31 at Brewster-Shea Funeral Home, 34 Park Place Manchester Center. For those attending visiting hours, the funeral home asks that masks or face coverings be worn due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Graveside funeral services for Joan will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday Aug. 1, at Riverside Cemetery in Londonderry. If friends desire, memorial gifts in Joan’s memory may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, the Tri-Mountain Area Lions Club or Neighborhood Connections, c/o Brewster-Shea Funeral Home P.O. Box 885, Manchester Center, 05255.

To send the family personal condolences please visit here. The family has entrusted arrangements to the care of Brewster-Shea Funeral Home, 34 Park Place, Manchester Center.