Ludlow, MA – Joan M. Kopinsky, 88, of Ludlow, MA passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 16, 2026 at her home at Keystone Commons after a 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Joan was born in Springfield, MA on March 25, 1938. She was the daughter of Erwin & Helen (Pike) Story.
She was the proud Owner of Homestyle Laundry, Sunderland MA for many years, where she viewed her clients as her personal friends. After her retirement, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a home on Cape Cod. Joan married her life partner, Albert on April 3, 1954 and dedicated the rest of her life to raising & nurturing their six children. She was loved by so many due to her kind & gentle spirit, which she manifested in all her dealings with others.
Joan is survived by five of her children, Debbie Checkum (deceased husband Charles – Collegeville, PA), Laurie Sibilia (North Reading, MA), John Kopinsky & his wife Paula (Ludlow, MA), Robert Kopinsky (Hadley, MA) and Steve Kopinsky & his wife Shannon (Lexington, NC), her 8 grandchildren (Kristen, Nathan, Joshua, Gretchen, Chuck, Isabelle, Lindsey & Danielle) and 6 great-grandchildren. She also leaves her sister, Natalie (husband Paul) McCarthy, as well as many nieces & nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, Albert, her eldest daughter, Susan (husband Orrin) Isles, and two sisters, Janice (deceased husband Jim) Labelle & Rosalie (husband Robert) Rubright, sister-in-law Cindy (deceased husband Robert) Kopinsky as well as her great-grandson, Ethan Melnik.
Joan was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on November 4, 1961 and maintained close friendships with so many dear ones over decades of time. Joan was such a kind, loving & gentle person – something that even her dreadful disease could not completely erase.
The family would like to thank Keystone Commons (especially the many beautiful & compassionate Aides who personally attended to our mother through good times & bad) for providing a place that our mother could call her home for nearly ten years. We would also like to thank Brookhaven Hospice for their unending dedication in helping our mother through her most difficult days more peacefully & painlessly than we could ever have imagined.
A memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 157 Fuller St, Ludlow, MA. For those unable to attend in person, the following Zoom link is being provided (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8302618758). A private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Operation Smile (OperationSmile.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org / 800-272-3900).
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