Joan Ann MacAllister

On February 18, 2021 Joan (Stone) MacAllister, 80, ever so peacefully slipped from her sleep into the awaiting arms of the angels following a period of declining health and an incredibly strong battle for her life. She was born in Keene, NH on March 24, 1940, the eldest child of Forrest and Rachel (Lecuyer) Stone, and was educated in Keene schools, graduating from Keene High in 1958. Joan would go on to attend the University of New Hampshire the following year.
On a bright cold sunny January 18th afternoon in 1962 Joan would once again travel back to the University of New Hampshire (UNH), but this time to secretly elope with her fiance John MacAllister, a UNH student, and begin what would become a wonderful 59 year marriage. This loving union would produce three children whom Joan's world and life would forever turn. Her first-born son, John Scott (Johnny), tragically passed away in 1967 shortly before his fourth birthday, a sad event for which she would forever grieve.
While her life was filled with a variety of happy activities and interests - golfing, bowling, skiing (water and snow), excellent cooking, maintaining a spotless home and beautiful gardens, sewing and knitting to name but a few - Joan's most all-consuming, lifelong interest was in proudly watching her children's (and later her grandchildren's) many and considerable academic, thespian, artistic and athletic successes - roles in the Keene Lions Club productions of "Fiddler On The Roof," "The Music Man" and in the Keene Summer Theater's professional productions of "Gypsy" and "Peter Pan", in which eight-year-old son Derek actually flew the wires as Michael, one of the play's leading characters.
Tamara (Dartmouth and Bucknell, both with honors) and Derek (UNH) round out the academic degrees of which Joan was so tremendously proud. Her family's athletic achievements would provide Joan with thousands of hours of cheering opportunities and memories - youth and high school hockey, softball, baseball, gymnastics, soccer, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding and, most of all, golf...a Dartmouth women's golf team Captain, some 24 or so club championships, a NH Junior Girls Championship, a NH Senior Amateur Championship, a NH State Amateur Championship, several NH Father/Son and Father/Daughter Championships and more. Joan participated in these victories with her constant presence as the family's number one cheerleader. She was so sad in the end that she would not be able to watch Breck, as she had with grandchildren Natasha and Samuel.
Every year, as soon as school was out for the year, Joan headed for York Beach with Tamara and Derek in tow for their annual attempt to eat all the lobsters and steamers in Maine and to generally enjoy the early summer beaches, ocean and Nubble Light. In later years she continued the tradition with Natasha and Samuel, who would join their adored "JoJo" and replace Tamara and Derek for the annual Maine food fest and skeeball games.
Her summers on Granite Lake were consumed with huge Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day JoJo-hosted family parties, lazy evening motorboat put-puts around the lake, loon watching, scorching sauna visits followed by cooling lake plunges, canoeing, kayaking and, of course, lots of swimming. For the past 18 or so years, Joan spent many of the coldest winter months in the sun and warmth of Daytona Beach, FL enjoying her huge family of snowbird and Florida friends and the many lively conversations with those friends on the pier and deck of Crabby Joe's Bar and Grill, her absolute favorite place in Florida.
Her work history involved secretarial and bookkeeping positions for a number of different employers with Joan finally retiring after 20 years of service as the secretary for one of Keene's High School Assistant Principals. Being very much a people person, she both preceded and followed that career with many years of devoted work and fun in the Bretwood Golf Course snack bar alongside her sister Sandra and great friends Judy and Linda. People there, including the Barrett family, always appreciated her incredible work ethic and her warm, friendly smile.
Joan is survived by her husband, John; her daughter Tamara and husband Hugh Barrett of Keene, NH; her son Derek and wife Frances of Munsonville, NH; three grandchildren, Natasha Drozin and partner Kevin Gargaly of New Orleans, LA, Samuel Drozin and partner Mechelle Zydenbos of Henniker, NH, and three month old Breck MacAllister whom she fortunately got to see, hold and love dearly before her passing. Joan is also survived by her two very much loved siblings, sister Sandra and husband Douglas Stowe of Fitzwilliam, NH, and brother David and his wife Linda Stone of Swanzey, NH as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. Joan was predeceased by her parents Forrest and Rachel Stone and her beloved son John Scott.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Joan to the Bruce Jones Scholarship Fund, PO Box 298, Orange, MA 01364-0298. A private burial of her ashes will be held in the Spring in the Monadnock View Cemetery, beside her son Johnny. Details on that date and time have not yet been set, but please reach out to any family member for further information.