On October 11, 2020, Joan Bergin, beloved mother of three and grandmother of five, passed away at the age of 72.

Joan was born in the Bronx on July 12, 1948 to Irving and Nettie Steinberg. She survived husbands Richard Silverman and Philip Bergin and is survived by her son Michael and daughter-in-law Sara, her daughter Jodi and son-in-law Dan, and her son Matthew and daughter-in-law Ursula, as well as her sisters Roberta and Janet. Noni Joanie leaves behind grandchildren Mason, Ivy, Alexa, Chloe, and Vanessa.

Joan retired from the New York Board of Education after a long career in the Department of Special Services. Before that, this ardent reader was a well-known staff member at what was once the largest independent bookstore in the Bronx, Paperbacks Plus. She was a CYO and Cub Scout fixture during all three of her children’s years at Saint Gabriel’s. 

A little lady with a big heart, Joan was a Bronx institution, admired for her spirit and hospitality from Riverdale to Arthur Avenue. She battled life-threatening illnesses for decades but never stopped fighting, smiling, or showing her family, and friends how much she loved them. Joan Bergin will be dearly missed. 

A funeral service will be held at 9:30am on Thursday, October 15 at St. Margaret's Church on Riverdale Ave. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to United Hospice of Rockland in Joan's honor.