Joy Oker deChiara

Joy Oker deChiara, loving wife, mother, sister, daughter, and aunt, passed away from natural causes on April 21, 2024 at Elms Terrace Garden Skilled Nursing Facility, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. She was 96 years old. 

Joy grew up in Southbridge, Massachusetts, where her father was the Art Director for the American Optical Company and where she met wonderful, close friends for life. After graduating from college in 1950 she took a solo trip to Italy aboard the cruise ship Andrea Doria, thus beginning a lifelong passion for travel. Living in New York City and Boston in the 1950s and 60s, she enjoyed a career as a stewardess for CaribAir and Eastern Airlines, flying a DC4 propeller aircraft, from New York to San Juan, PR. A vivacious and beautiful young woman, Joy caught the eye of Albert "Tony" deChiara at a party in the New York home of a mutual friend and the two began dating. When Joy moved to San Francisco a little later, Tony followed her there to propose and they were married in Sherborn, MA, in 1957.

After the birth of their son Albert and their daughter Andrea, Joy and Tony settled down in Old Greenwich, CT, where they raised their family and entertained their many friends with dinner parties (Tony's speciality being Pasta Siciliana) and lively, laughter-filled conversation.  A stylish dresser, Joy brought her eye for high-quality designer fashion to her own consignment store in Greenwich called ReFashion, the success of which prompted her to write and publish a book entitled "The Bargain Hunter's Notebook." When both children graduated from college and embarked on their own adult lives, Joy and Tony retired to Venice, FL, where they took care of her mother, Virginia Oker, until her passing at the age of 102. There they enjoyed an active life of retirement, once again making friends and adding warmth and humor to the quality of life of people in their community. After the loss of her beloved Tony, Joy moved to Massachusetts to be near her son and then to Pennsylvania, to be near her daughter. All of her caretakers consistently remarked on her beauty, both inside and out, and her sweet nature, right up until her passing.

Joy is survived by her son and daughter in law, Albert and Jennifer deChiara, her daughter and son in law, Andrea and Cliff Fitzgerald, her nieces Faith and Susan Oker, and her nephew Arne Oker.

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