Obituary of Joan Zumpfe

Dudley-Joan Zumpfe, 83, passed away on Thursday, January 1st surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Paul, her son Christopher and her two granddaughters, Cassie and Alex. Her daughter Kristin and her partner Steve, her grandson, Nic, and her niece Michelle. Her Brother in law and his wife Carl "Zeke" and Nancy. As well as many great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Jack and Lucy, her sister Nancy and her niece Barbara. Joan graduated from Worcester State College in 1964 with a teaching degree and taught in the Whitinsville and Dudley-Charlton school districts. She later became a mainframe computer programmer working in the insurance and banking industries in Worcester and Boston and was a vital part of the Y2K conversion. Joan was an avid bird watcher and went on safaris in Kenya and South Africa as well as on trips to the Amazon River in Peru and to the Grand Canyon. She is a past president of the Forbush Bird Club. Joan volunteered with the Dudley Council on Aging and loved music and was a member of Opera Worcester and performed in choirs, including singing the National Anthem at a Patriots game. She was also a devoted Red Sox fan and loved to shop from catalogs to find unique and special gifts for those she loved. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary. The family is planning a celebration of life in the spring.www.bartelfuneralhome.com for her online guestbook.