Joan Clare McGivern

December 31, 1927 - April 2, 2020

 

City of Milwaukee resident Joan C. McGivern passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Thursday April 2, 2020 at the age of 92. Joan was born in Milwaukee on December 31, 1927 the daughter of George and Marie (Nee Gaynor) Fahey. Joan was married to William “Bill” McGivern in Milwaukee on December 2, 1950.

She is survived by her brother Jerry Fahey (LuAnn) of Minneapolis, MN and her children, Jim McGivern (Catherine) of Sarasota, Fl, Tim McGivern (Patti) of Tarpon Springs, FL, John McGivern (Steve Brandt) of Milwaukee, Colleen Ashenden (Ed) of Cedarburg, Mike McGivern (Terrie) of Milwaukee and Maureen Myers (Sandra Botham) of Cedarburg. She is further survived by 11 loving grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren along with other relatives and many friends.

Joan spent her 30-year-career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bookstore where she was a Trade Book Buyer and later worked in the Textbook Department. She was an avid reader spending every weekend with a pile of newspapers including the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, New York Times, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. During the week she spent her time with Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Robert B. Parker, Lisa Scottoline, David Baldacci and Maeve Binchy. She never picked up a Murder Mystery that she could put down. When not reading she loved playing cards with her “CLUB” where they would spend all day surrounded by snacks and beverages (usually made out of grapes) playing the card game Hand and Foot.

A family celebration of life will happen at a later date. In lieu of flowers and memorials, donations can be made in Joan’s memory to the Wisconsin Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (wisconsinchapterccf.org). Online condolences can be forwarded to the family at www.eernissefuneralhome.com. The Eernisse Funeral Home, Michael Schramka Associate is assisting the family.