Bassett, Joan (Popick/VonDeck) 82, of Storrs, Ct. It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Mother who left us on August 14th surrounded by the love of her family. Born in Hartford, Ct, the daughter of Ralph and Anna VonDeck, she grew up and attended school in Manchester. While married to Ronald Popick she served as Executive Assistant to the National Training Director of the Food Service Industry Training Project, a government sponsored on the job training program for the disadvantaged and underemployed; as contract administrator at FSITP, in conjunction with the Associated Restaurants of Connecticut, she traveled to Washington DC. Working with the Labor Department, she finalized contracts for over 30 different OJT programs all over the US. When the Johnson Administration took over the White House these programs were phased out, and she joined Connecticut Bank and Trust as an administrative assistant in the Public Relations Department, where she was promoted to Assistant Secretary. She later became the Executive Assistant to the Bank’s chairman, Pomeroy Day, and to the Banks General Counsel, Edward Lane-Reticker. Joan left CBT after 9 years to join a newly organized bank, Hartford Federal Savings, as Personal Assistant to the President, Chairman and Board of Directors. She remained at Hartford Federal until her marriage in 1978 to Kenneth Bassett. During the 1980s she worked as a legal/administrative assistant at the Hartford Law Firm, Day, Berry & Howard. She then joined her husband as the proud owner of several family businesses, Chowdertown Restaurant in Vernon, Bassett’s Catering, and Bassett’s Restaurant in Sturbridge Ma.
Mrs. Bassett has been an active volunteer and supporter of several charitable organizations including the Community Guidance Clinic in Hartford, Connecticut Public Television, Habitat for Humanity, Christmas in April (both Manchester and Rockville), Cuz-We-Care and other cancer related causes. She was a devoted volunteer at the Hebron Senior Center as well as at Juniper Hill Village where she was the caretaker of the library for many years. She was an avid reader and kept an ongoing list of every book she ever read. In recent years she was rereading the “classics” and in going through her things we found pages of notes she had kept on the history of politics, the Bible, geography and other factual areas of interest to her. When not reading, she could often be found in the JHV library working on her beautiful puzzles.
She will be forever remembered for the holiday gatherings, particularly Christmas Eve, when the entire family would gather and enjoy delicious food combined with the chaotic, laughter-filled time of being together. There were always additional friends in need of a place to go who were always welcomed and became extended members of our family.
Above all, Joan was a loving Mother who taught her daughters the value of hard work, good ethics and the importance of family sticking together. As a single, working Mother in her younger years, she had her challenges, but her girls always knew that she loved them and did her very best for them at all times. She will be deeply missed and forever in our hearts.
Mrs. Bassett was predeceased by her parents, Ralph and Anna VonDeck, her husband, Kenneth Bassett, her son in law, Thomas Grunske, and two grandchildren, Cailyn Bassett and Christian Gagnon. She leaves her loving brother and sister in law, John and Fay VonDeck of South Carolina, her 4 daughters and 3 step-sons, Laurie (David) McMorrow of New Hampshire, Victoria Gagnon, Jacqueline (Christopher) Green and Kimberly Colbert, all of Vernon, Kenneth (Krisztina)Bassett of South Carolina, Douglas (Donna) Bassett of Vernon and Brian Bassett of Guilford. In addition, she leaves her loving and beloved grandchildren, Sara (Dan) Hanehan, Matthew Grunske, Mariah (Scott) Robertson, Nicholas (Krista) Hany, Joseph Gagnon, Tyler (Samantha) Gagnon, Savannah Gagnon and Robert Gagnon, Natalie (AJ) Marini, Kayla (Greg) Axler, and Michael Green, Zachary Maloof, Aleksander Colbert and Grace Colbert, Natalie Bassett and Anastasia (Collin) McMahon, Kevin Bassett and Christoper Bassett. She also leaves 9 great grandchildren who lovingly referred to her as Gigi or The G. Our family will be eternally grateful to three devoted ladies who loved and cared for Mom over the last years. Without them she would not have been able to remain at home as she wished. Her cousin and next door neighbor at Juniper Hill Village, Sheila Norcross, her homecare aide, Anna Heredia, and her Visiting Nurse, Betsy Harakaly, provided her with love, laughter and companionship and she truly loved them.
Family will gather at a later date for a private Celebration of Life. For anyone wishing to make a memorial donation in Mom’s name, she was a faithful supporter of many charities but particularly loved St Jude Children’s Hospital.
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