Joan Doyle

Joan Catherine (Courchaine) Doyle passed into God’s hands on Sept. 16. Born May 15, 1934, to Louis Courchaine and Beatrice Garand in Cohoes, New York, she was the youngest of five children. As a child, she moved to St. Augustine, Florida, and then Atlanta, where she graduated from Sacred Heart High School.

She met her husband, E. Aubrey Doyle, on a blind date in Atlanta where he was stationed with the Army. They married on Aug. 18, 1955. Following the reception, they loaded a U-Haul and drove to her new home in Hopkinton. They raised seven children: Colleen (Ray-deceased) Charleston, Lisa (Ray) Carloni, W. Aubrey (Julie) Doyle, Julia (Paul) Rice, Sean Doyle (deceased), Tim (Sonya) Doyle and Brendan (Deena) Doyle. She also leaves behind her sister, Dot Muellenbach, 21 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and her caregiver, Dee.

She was a dedicated mother and wife, running the household at 13 Church Street. She was the caregiver of son Sean, who suffered from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and became significantly disabled until his death at the age of 23.

She was a devoted Catholic, attending daily Mass much of her life. She worked part time at St John’s Rectory and then at the Hopkinton Public Library for 10 years. She loved being with family, attending all the extracurricular activities of her children and grandchildren, reading and doing her daily walk around town. She cherished her many friends and time with them at monthly “Club” and happy hour gatherings.

At the age of 78 she suffered a brain aneurysm. After a long recovery, she returned home and then helped support her ailing husband. After his death, she enjoyed getting back to a busier life. She was a caring, kindhearted person who rarely had a bad word to say about anyone and will be missed by all who knew her.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, Sept. 21, 4-7 p.m., at the Callanan Cronin Funeral Home, 34 Church Street, Hopkinton. A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Parish, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton. Burial will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, Hopkinton. View the funeral Mass live at boxcast.tv/view/funeral-mass-for-joan-c-doyle-zykkgipsjswkywznp6lu.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748, or Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library, 13 Main Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.