Joan Barbara Fagel

Schenectady – Joan Barbara Fagel, 80, passed away with her family at her side on Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 after a brief illness. Born in Schenectady, Joan was the daughter of the late Joseph and Clara Sukackas. She graduated from Mont Pleasant High School and went on to work first for New York State and later for Sofco Inc. in Glenville, where she performed roles ranging from keypunch operation to payroll, retiring after four decades of service. Joan met her husband Bill on a double date arranged by her cousin. They would marry on June 14th, 1964 and remained inseparable through 57 years of marriage. Joan took pleasure in many things in life, including bowling in several area leagues with her husband, playing golf, tennis (she was a loyal fan of Rafael Nadal), the Boston Red Sox, and playing card games with friends. She loved to travel with her family, whether to Florida, Cape Cod, Lake George, Boston, or weekends in NYC with her daughter. She took great pride in her home and loved hosting Christmas, Easter and birthday gatherings. Joan’s legendary meals often included fresh kielbasa, and many varieties of homemade cookies. She was a devoted hostess who always made sure to have her guests’ favorite dishes and beverages on hand. Joan loved to make other people happy and her most defining role in life was as a selfless and dedicated caregiver. She spent years tirelessly caring and advocating for her daughter, Christine, never giving up even in the face of illness and adversity. Joan will be remembered as a strong and determined, yet easy-going and welcoming person who was loved by all who knew her. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, William J. Fagel; daughters, Christine M. Fagel and Suzanne L. Fagel (Ben Coonley); beloved granddaughter, Clara Coonley; dear friend, Lundy LaBuda (Victoria Clingan); brother, Larry Sukackas (Linda) and niece, Debra Bick. Aside from her parents, she was predeceased by two brothers, Richard Sukackas (and his wife, Beverly) and Edward Sukackas and niece, Sharon Schultz. A calling hourwill take place on Friday, April 29th from 12:30-1:30pm at the DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home, 1605 Helderberg Ave., Rotterdam. A funeral service will follow at1:30pm. Burial will be private at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s name may be made to Schenectady ARC (https://www.arcschenectady.org/donate/).