Joann Cook Smedley passed away peacefully in Brookline, Massachusetts on September 19, 2026 after a long and active life. She was born October 7, 1931 in Syracuse, New York to parents Chauncey Jewett Cook and Gladys Loring Cook.
As a young girl, her family moved frequently, making a home wherever her father, a factory worker and union organizer, found work. Eventually they settled in Buffalo, where Joann was raised along with her older brothers Raymond and Loring, both of whom enlisted in the Merchant Marines during World War II. She excelled in her studies at Kensington High School and graduated in 1949. She continued on to the Williams Business School, and then to Buffalo State Teachers College but was unable to complete her first year due to financial limitations.
Joann and a friend left Buffalo for Manhattan in 1951 to find larger opportunities. There, she soon found a position as administrative assistant to Harold W. McGraw, Jr., who was then vice president of McGraw-Hill Book Company. In her long working career, it was the job she loved most as she had great respect for Mr. McGraw and enjoyed the rich cultural life of New York City.
In 1957, Joann married Peter Smedley at The Riverside Church in New York. She left McGraw-Hill shortly after when she and her husband moved to the South Shore of Long Island, where they raised three children. Peter taught American history and social studies at a private school in East Islip, and Joann eventually resumed full-time work, first directing a community nursery school, then managing the office for an electronics sales company, and finally managing The Open Gate retirement home in Bay Shore, NY. While still working, Joann fulfilled a long-time desire to finish college and earned an associate degree. She retired from managing The Open Gate in 2014.
Joann was a lifelong Christian Scientist, and her love of God and her faithful work for her church were cornerstones of her life. In retirement, she enjoyed beach-going, gardening, painting and writing, and had several inspirational poems and articles published in the Christian Science periodicals. She also remained active in her church.
Among other wonderful qualities, she will be remembered for her wisdom, intelligence, resilience, initiative, thrift, and common sense. More than anything, Joann cherished spending time with her family and only grandchild, Wade. She is survived by her three children, Suzanne Smedley, Jesse Smedley and Elizabeth Massey of Massachusetts; grandson Wade Massey; nephews Douglas Smedley, David Cook and Geoffrey Cook, and nieces Jane Hoffman and Candida West.
Joann will be dearly missed by her extended family, friends, and church community but will remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the following organizations would be appreciated:
The Principle Foundation, Overland Park, Kansas
https://principlefoundation.org/donate/
High Ridge House, Bronx, New York
https://www.highridgehouse.org/give/donate/donate-form/
Chestnut Hill Benevolent Association, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts