HOLLIS, NH – Joan P. Cappetta, age 54, of Hollis, NH, sadly passed away on October 15th, 2014, surrounded by her family, following complications after a courageous two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born in Nashua, NH, a daughter of Lorraine “Lenny” (Lemay) Prestipino of Nashua, NH, and the late Bartolo V. Prestipino. A native of Milford, NH, she attended Milford Area High School and graduated in 1978. Joan graduated cum laude with a B.A. in economics from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, in 1982. She met her husband, the love of her life, during her junior year abroad in Bangor, North Wales. After graduation, Joan worked as a cashier at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, from 1982 to 1984. Following their marriage in 1984, they moved back to the U.K., to London, England, where she qualified and worked as a Chartered Accountant for Price Waterhouse until 1988. They moved back to the United States in 1990 after the birth of their second child, and lived for three years in Hanover, NH. They then moved to Hollis in 1993.

Joan loved family ski trips, reading, relaxing on the porch and spending quality time with her closest friends. Her greatest dream in life was to be a mom, and she was a wonderful mother and wife in every aspect. She loved, adored and supported her four children in every endeavor, always epitomizing what it means to be a “number one fan.”

In addition to her mother, family members include her husband, Charles T. Cappetta, of Hollis, NH; four children, Kate, Kelsey, Alyssa and Andrew, all of Hollis; a sister, Ann Prestipino, of Boston, MA; a brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Liza Prestipino, of Bedford, NH; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Carolyn and Charles Cappetta, of DeBary, FL; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Jon Cappetta, of Concord, MA, Jamie and Kristina Cappetta, of Hamden, CT, Cathy and John Santamaria, of Sacramento, CA, Cindy and Tom Jump, of Chicago, IL; and many nieces and nephews.

There are no visiting hours. A memorial Mass will be celebrated on Friday, October 24th, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Patrick’s Church, 34 Amherst Street, Milford. Her family would like to express its sincerest gratitude to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, for their incredible care throughout these past two years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joan’s name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at http://www.pancan.org. Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com.