Joan Myrie

Obituary: Joan Elain Watson was born to the union of Bernice Green and the late Rudolph Watson on June 21 1945 in Columbia South Carolina. Known as “Elaine” to family and as “Joan” to close friends. Joan Elaine spent her childhood in Columbia South Carolina. During her early teens, she moved to Brooklyn, NY with her mother and grandmother, the late Elouise Green. Her summers where spent visiting her father and brother Rudolph Watson Jr. in Detroit Michigan. She attended Sarah J. Hale High School in Brooklyn where she met her longtime friend Joann Watts. After graduation and following a 2 year engagement she later married Alfonso Myrie, Jr. in June of 1965. To this union, a son, Kwame Myrie was born. As a young bride Joan Elaine's professional career began at the United States Postal Service. She was later employed at a publishing company on Madison Avenue. After her son was born she was hired at Chase Manhattan Bank where she worked for 25 years. During the latter half of her tenure at Chase, she moved up the ranks from teller to Vice President responsible for a cluster of branches in Manhattan. While doing so, she attended Elizabeth Seton Hall College earning her an Associates Degree in Business Management. After over 25 years of a successful career at Chase she decided to take an early retirement in 1997. After briefly enjoying the benefits of retirement, she felt the urge to work again and began working for the Internal Revenue Service as a tax Examiner in 2002, where she worked until January 2016. During her life she loved spending time with her family and close friends, She especially enjoyed traveling and touring with her son, Kwame and experiencing New York City's night life with close friends. Accompanying her mother Bernice to playing games of chance at Tri-State area casinos, was another favorite recreational activity. Speaking of games, aside from being an avid reader, one of her favorite pastimes was solving puzzles of all types. A jigsaw, crossword, word search, anagram, or Sudoku puzzle, was no challenge to adept mind. She was also a big fan of Motown and R&B; especially artists such as Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, Smokey Robinson and Patti LaBelle. On January 1, 2017 Joan Elaine left her physical form to become a free spirit. She leaves to love and miss her a mother, Bernice Hampton, a brother Rudolph Watson Jr., a son Kwame Myrie, a niece Marcia, granddaughter Naomi, grandson Aaron, a daughter in law Natalie and a host of other family and friends. All who knew her remember her warm smile and tender demeanor. Her sweet spirit, good nature, and love will be missed by all who knew her.

Joan Myrie

June 21, 1945 - January 1, 2017