Joan Bourgeois

Joan Bourgeois, 92, of Satellite Beach, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2024, at Discovery Village at Melbourne in Florida.

Born on December 8, 1931, Joan was the daughter of the late Robert C. Arnold and Agnes Bessinger Arnold. Joan was a 1949 graduate of Catholic Central High School in Troy, NY. She completed her undergraduate work at College of St. Rose and received her M.S. in Mathematics from Syracuse University.

A lifelong educator, Joan retired from the Department of Education for the State of New York as Assistant Commissioner for Nonpublic Schools in 1991 after a 40-year career. It was during her time in education that Joan met her lifelong friend, Marie Deegan of Bradenton, FL.

Joan married George Bourgeois Sr. on October 4, 1986. They were married for 35 years until George’s passing in May 2022. While both were graduates of the same 1949 class of Catholic Central High School, life took them down separate paths. Those paths crossed again in the early 1980s and never parted.

In the early 1990's George and Joan moved from their house in NY to their Satellite Beach home. Having had their share of snow and cold, they welcomed the warmer Florida climate and soon loved their new neighborhood. It was here that George and Joan met many great friends and neighbors. They often spoke very highly of their great neighbors, Theresa and Bob Bradley, as well as Mary and Jim Wright.

During their retirement, Joan and George enjoyed traveling. In addition to exploring the US, their journeys took them to Iceland, Israel, and throughout Europe including Germany, England, Italy, and Rome, to name a few. They even managed a voyage through the Panama Canal to the West Coast, as well as a trip through the Canadian Maritimes.

Joan is survived by her brother, Jim (Susan) Arnold of Miramar, Florida as well her 3 stepchildren, Mary Anne (Jerry) Crooks of Delaware, George (Jill) Bourgeois of Maine, and Joe (Tammy) Bourgeois of Texas. She also leaves behind many step-grandchildren, step-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and their families.

She was predeceased by her husband, George as well as her parents Agnes and Robert and her brother Robert Arnold and sister-in-law Mary. 

A sincere thank you to the staff at Discovery Village of Melbourne, SHINE Memory Care, Wuesthoff Hospice, and our friend, Silvia, for their care and compassion when it was needed most!

Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Troy June 22nd at 10am following Joan's arrival back to the capital district from Florida.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Space Coast Therapy Dogs in Joan's memory. They always brought a smile to her face whenever they visited!

Space Coast Therapy Dogs

P.O. Box 561326

Rockledge, FL 32956-1326

spacecoasttherapydogs.com