Joan Farrell
Joan Brett Farrell, 90, of Strasburg, Virginia died October 14, 2025, after a brief illness and hospice stay. She was surrounded by her loving family. She immediately ascended into God's Heavenly Kingdom.
Joan is survived by six children: Linda Bouchelle (Chip, passed 2005), Karen Ferg (Tim), Debbie Kaser (Thomas), Kirstie Dixon (John), David Kroggel, and Larry Kroggel (Joddy). Also surviving are nephews Ross Schlueter (Erika) and Gary Schlueter (Karen) as well as niece LIsa Benefield (Tommy). Additionally - nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren will miss their "Nana", "Grandma", "Grammie", "Great Nanu".
Mrs. Farrell was born February 22, 1935, the second daughter of Marie and Dietrich Brettschneider in Baltimore, Maryland. Gifted musically and artistically Joan attended the Peabody Conservatory and trained as an operatic soprano. Her artwork is displayed proudly at various family homes. She sang in church choirs wherever she lived well into her later years.
She attended Gettysburg College (her sister Marie's choice as well) for two years as an art major before leaving to start a family with first husband Lawrence Kroggel. With her first three children growing older she commuted back and forth from Harrisburg, PA to Gettysburg College and completed a B.A. degree in history in 1968. Joan and her husband then had three more children. She entered the workforce full-time in the mid-70's as a librarian in the Montgomery County (MD) system after the family relocated to the Washington D.C. area in 1969. She and her first husband divorced in 1980. Joan continued her career with increasingly responsible positions within the library system and then moved over to the County's administrative team before retiring in 2000.
After retirement she moved to a small farm outside Strasburg with the love of her life Terry Farrell. Joan and Terry were together for 23 years starting with a "Parents Without Partners" date in 1986. They were married in 2006 surrounded by family at a beach house on the Delaware coast. The couple kept the farm, built a house in Strasburg and joined St. Paul Lutheran Church. Terry passed away in 2009.
Joan's life was full of joy, family, travel, conversation, spirituality, and a veritable plethora of activities after retirement and the move into the Strasburg house. She traveled extensively throughout her life. She made three trips to the California coast with Terry to visit the places he grew up and held dear. Joan went on three European river cruises, traveled up the New England coast, cruised the coast of Alaska with 'the Sisters', and visited Austria twice. She vacationed many times over the years in Fenwick Island, Delaware. Of course, as she grew older many family members came to visit her.
Joan Farrell was most recently honored at a 90th birthday bash at St. Paul with extended family, neighborhood friends, her spiritual brothers and sisters, and great music amongst extensive photographic remembrances.
A funeral service for Mrs. Farrell will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 25, 2025, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Strasburg followed immediately by a celebratory lunch in the Fellowship Hall. Joan's children will oversee her private interment next to her husband Terry at Panorama Memorial Gardens in Warren County later that afternoon.
Memorials may be made to Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
You may submit your condolences online at www.stoverfuneralhome.com.
Stover Funeral Home and Crematory, Strasburg, VA is honored to serve the family of Mrs. Joan Brett Farrell.
