Joan C. Drechsler

Native of Franklin Square, long time New Jersey and Florida resident, Joan C. Drechsler, 78, of Naples, FL died on May 9, 2022.

Joan was born in Queens, NY, and grew up in Franklin Square, NY. She attended H. Frank Carey High School, and graduated SUNY Oneonta in 1966. Joan was a patient and nurturing teacher in Matawan and Freehold, NJ. After raising her sons, she earned a Certificate in Special Education from Georgian Court College and returned to teaching in Union Beach, NJ. She especially loved reading to children and helping them to learn to read on their own.

Joan and Rudy were married for 55 years first settling in Freehold, NJ, where he worked for Bell Laboratories and where the focus of their lives were their sons Donald, Gregory and Andrew. Rudy’s work took them to Allentown, PA, in 1980 and they later relocated to Colts Neck, NJ. They retired to Naples, FL, in 2001.

More than anything, Joan was known for being a gentle and caring person who was an excellent listener. Even strangers would find themselves telling her their life stories. Her warmth and generous spirit showed when she volunteered at St. Agnes Church in Naples and at the Naples Community Hospital.

Spending time at the beach made Joan very happy. Every summer of their childhood, she looked forward to taking her boys for day trips to Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ, and later loved taking her eight grandchildren to the beaches in Naples. No trip to Naples was complete without a boat tour to look for dolphins or a trolley ride through downtown.

She enjoyed travelling and took many cruises and vacations in Europe and the Caribbean. As often as she could, she went on girls’ trips with her sister, visited family in New Jersey and wherever her son Donald was stationed while in US Air Force.

Joan leaves behind her husband, Rudy; her son Colonel Donald R. Drechsler (USAF-retired) (Cindy) of Fairfax, VA, and their children, Emily (Zack) and Annaliese; son Greg (Jen) and their children, Charley and Max of Maplewood, NJ; and Andy (Moira) of Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ, and their children, Avery, Thomas, Amelia and Will;  her sister, Barbara, of North Babylon, NY; sister in law, Betty-Anne (Howard) of Palm Coast, FL; her nephew Howard, niece April, cousins and countless friends.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Agnes Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org) in memory of Joan.