Joanne Laing, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to many, died Aug. 12 at Salem Hospital following a brief illness. She was 91.
Laing was born May 20, 1932, in Boston, to Joseph and Agnes McGrath. She was raised in Milton with her five siblings.
She met the love of her life, Carlton D. Laing, at Mosley’s on the Charles in Dedham, and they married six months later. The couple settled in Marblehead, where they raised their six children. Laing enjoyed crafting original art that now adorns the homes of her loved ones.
The couple retired to Naples, Florida, where they developed lifelong friendships. Laing’s husband predeceased her after 60 years of marriage. In recent years, Laing enjoyed all that Marblehead and Ossipee, New Hampshire, have to offer. She embodied and often sported her beloved Disney.
Laing is survived by her siblings, Patricia Shaheen, Stephen (Amy) McGrath, Eugene (Lynne) McGrath; her children, Deborah (Al) Torchetti, Denise (Howard) Ross, Dennis (Jerilyn) Laing, Dianne (Kenny) Rodgers, Douglas Laing, Dana (Rebecca) Laing; her 10 grandchildren, Christopher (Beth) Ross, Kelly (Nicholas) Fowler, Denna, Brianna and Alexandria Laing, Cassandra (Grace) Rodgers and Veronica Rodgers, Madison, Colby and Brody Laing; and her great-granddaughter, Avery Fowler. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Agnes Hurley and Janice McGrath.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 21, at Our Lady, Star of the Sea, 85 Atlantic Ave. The burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marblehead Council on Aging, 10 Humphrey St., Marblehead, MA 01945.
