Joan Marise (Joanne) Brady, 89, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Oct. 16, 2024, in Plattsburgh, New York.
Born on March 1, 1935, in Bangor, Maine, Joanne met her future husband, Edward Brady, while she was a student at the University of Maine at Orono and he was stationed at nearby Dow Air Force base after returning from the Korean War. They returned to New York state in the late 1950s and initially moved to western New York to be near family.
Over the years, Ed’s career in the New York State Department of Corrections led them to various towns across the state. In 1977, they moved to Saranac Lake with the opening of Camp Adirondack in Ray Brook. They fell in love with the area and became immersed in the local community, contributing to youth athletics, community development, and enjoying the lakes and mountains.
An avid volunteer, Joanne was frequently found working at ski races in the winter and helping to organize community events in the summer. She particularly enjoyed her time at the family camp near Kiwassa Lake, where she loved sharing time with friends and family over meals, boat rides and conversations on the porch. She was an enthusiastic traveler, exploring the U.S. and making many trips to the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Her love for Las Vegas was legendary, with annual trips filled with friends and fun.
With more than 40 years working locally in real estate, Joanne helped many families settle into the community. Yet, always at the core of her life was her own family. She is preceded in death by her husband of over 43 years, Edward Brady, who passed in 2000.
She is survived by her three sons, Peter, Mark and Kevin, and their families; five grandchildren — Hanna-Lisa, Max, Amelia, Matthew and Brian — who will always remember her for her generous spirit, tireless love for them and her famous Christmas cookies.
A special thanks goes out to all the caregivers in the region that helped Joanne in her later years and to the local community of friends that she cherished. A special note of thanks goes to her longtime friends Marilyn Bigelow and Penny Curran, who were by her side through thick and thin.
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 30 at St. Agnes Church in Lake Placid. Burial will take place directly following the service at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Saranac Lake.
Friends wishing to remember Joanne Brady may make memorial contributions to the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) at www.nysef.org or the Tri-Lakes Humane Society at www.trilakeshumanesociety.com. Family and friends can also share their condolences and memories at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.
