Joan Eileen Truax

Joan “Joanie” Eileen Truax, age 63, of Naugatuck entered into eternal rest on October 25, 2021, at Griffin Hospital in Derby, completing the journey of her life that started there on January 31, 1958.

Daughter of the late Robert and Geraldine (Rich) Travers, Joanie was raised in Shelton, graduating from Shelton High School in 1976. She remained in Connecticut her entire life before finally settling in Naugatuck. She is the beloved mother of David Truax, Jr. of Danbury, and Megan (Ryan Laude) Truax of Naugatuck, as well as her loving pup, Baxter. Joanie is also survived by her sister, Gerri-Ann “Gerri” and her husband, James “Jimmy” Harte of South Carolina; her cherished nephews and niece, Jamie Harte, Sean (Molly) Harte, Marybeth (Daniel Pike) Harte, and Michael (Brittany) Truax Jr.; and her former husband, David Truax, Sr. and his family, William Truax III, Susanne Truax, Stephen (Tanya) Truax, Michael Truax Sr., and Hazel “Nana” (Flanagan) Truax.

Joanie graduated from Stone Academy in New Haven before being hired as a legal secretary for attorney Michael Neufeld, and what started as a working relationship turned into a lifelong friendship with a man she would refer to as her “big brother” for the rest of her life. Joanie retired due to a condition that claimed most of her vision, but she never lost her positive attitude and never wavered in the unending love and support she gave to her friends and family. She always made the most of life despite her disability, spending time with and caring for those she loved, watching her “stories” every day on her massive TV, listening to Carole King and James Taylor, and evolving a love of reading instilled in her by her parents at a young age by turning to audiobooks when she could no longer read them herself, easily listening to hundreds of books every year.

Above all, she was just a wonderful woman who will never know the impact her love had on those around her. She was a beacon of hope and joy to everyone in her life and the sheer number of loved ones she leaves behind is a testament to her loving nature and the happiness she brought everywhere she went. She was always chilly, but she had the warmest heart. She was taken too soon, and words can never express the impact of her loss. She will be missed by too many to count.

Services for Joanie will be held privately and at an undetermined date. Memorial contributions may be made to Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum International at www.pxe.org. The Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Naugatuck is assisting Joan’s family. To leave online condolences for her family, please visit www.fordfh.com.