Obituaries

Joan Carolyn Friant Wolfe

December 3, 1943 - April 6, 2026

Funeral arrangements by Laughrey Funeral Home. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Joan’s life and her reunion with Jerry. • Visitation & Service: April 24, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Laughrey Funeral Home, Pennsville. • Interment: Immediately following at Finn’s Point National Cemetery, Pennsville, NJ where she will be laid to rest alongside her beloved Jerry.

Joan Carolyn Friant (Wolfe), 82, passed away peacefully on Easter Monday, returning at last to the arms of her beloved husband, Gerald “Jerry” Friant. Joan’s legacy is defined by the life and home she and Jerry built together in Pennsville, New Jersey—a partnership that remained the heartbeat of her world.

Originally from Cumberland, Maryland, Joan was the daughter of the late Ellen Virginia Lepley (Raines) and Ora Wolfe. While she cherished her roots, her greatest pride was the family she and Jerry fostered. She is survived by her daughters, Debbie (Leroy), Evelyn (Mike), and Sharon; her grandchildren, Aaron, Michael, Jennifer, Marie, John Allen, and Melani; her great-grandchild, Levi; and her sister, Linda (Tom). She now joins Jerry and her five siblings—Paul, Herb, Larry, Dwight, and Aileen—in eternal rest.

Joan was known for her gentle soul and a sharp memory of the natural world. She had a deep and lifelong love for trees, birds, and flowers, always knowing the names of every living thing she encountered. Her home was a sanctuary, filled with the warmth of her cherished collections of birds, butterflies, angels, and Native American dolls.

A faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Woodstown, Joan lived a life of quiet service. For many years, she touched the lives of countless families as a local babysitter, caring for the community’s children with the same tenderness she gave her own.