Joan Marie (Pedersen) Pospisil

Joan Marie Pospisil, age 96, passed away peacefully on September 11, 2023, in Bluffton, SC.  She was born September 9, 1927, in Brooklyn, NY, to the late Martin and Agnes Pedersen.

Joan married the late John Bjelka in 1950 and later moved to Ridgefield, CT, where they lovingly raised their four children.  She is preceded by her son Gary Bjelka, and survived by sons Kim Bjelka, Kenneth Bjelka, her daughter Cindy Berry, and six grandchildren.

Joan worked as an executive secretary the majority of her career at Perkin-Elmer. She was a very loving and compassionate person who cared for her mother and mother-in-law throughout the years, as well as, being a surrogate mother to many of her children’s friends.

In 1986 she married the late Henry Pospisil and moved to Hilton Head Island, SC, where they retired and built their house in Shipyard Plantation. She loved that their home was the meeting place for the family every year. As Joan settled in, she became involved with the church and bible group where she met many of her closest friends.

In 2005 she built a house in Sun City Bluffton, SC, where she lived until 2018.  After that she moved to assisted living facilities in Bluffton,  SC.  While in Sun City she was a member of  Grace Coastal Church where she enjoyed many close friends and activities including working at the children’s daycare during Sunday service.

Joan is to be cremated and buried in the family plot with her mother, father, and first husband, John Bjelka, in Ridgefield, CT.  Per her request there will be no service. She was very appreciative of our police, firefighters, and veterans, therefore, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to “Tunnel to Towers Foundation” in lieu of flowers.