Joan E. Forsyth

Wells, ME – Mrs. Joan E. (Flentje) Forsyth of Wells, Maine formerly of Waltham, died Sunday, February 13, 2005 at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. She was 73. Born in Cambridge, a daughter of the late Henry and Gertrude (Steidle) Flentje, she lived in Waltham for many years before moving to Wells twelve years ago. She was a 1949 graduate of Arlington High School and a 1952 graduate of Leslie College. She also earned a masters degree in special education at Leslie. She had been a teacher for the Arlington public school system from 1954 until her retirement in 1991, primarily at Bishop Elementary School. In retirement, Joan was active in volunteer community service through the Wells Chamber of Commerce and had been past president of the Ogunquit Women’s Club. She also knit items for club charities. Joan especially enjoyed time spent with her grandchildren working on crafts projects, cooking, gardening and spending time at the ocean. She was the wife of 50 years to the late Donald K. Forsyth, Sr. who died in July of last year. Joan leaves her children, Deborah J. DeMichele and her husband Jerry of Framingham, Donald K. Forsyth, Jr. of Sandown, NH, Jill F. Lepore and her husband Kevin and Barbara F. Bagdasarian and her husband Mark, all of Waltham; her grandchildren, Matthew Croteau, Ashley DeMichele, Donald K. Forsyth, III, Jesse, Joseph, Julie and Katie Lepore and Hope Bagdasarian; and her sister, Rosamond Viegas of Reading. Relatives and friends are invited to attend Funeral Services at 7 p.m. Thursday in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham. Visiting hours will be held prior to the service Thursday evening from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 11 Vanderbilt Avenue, Suite 105, Norwood, MA 02062.