Joan Bennett Hubbard

Joan Bennett Hubbard, 87, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2023, lovingly cared for by her four daughters. Despite the challenges of the last couple years, Joan never lost her signature sense of humor and cutting wit.

Born April 5, 1936, in Bronx, New York, Joan was the first child to Richard and Mary Bennett. Graduating from Aquinas High School in 1954, she worked in advertising on 5th Avenue in New York City. After meeting Glenn Hubbard on Rockaway Beach, she married and moved to Racine in 1960. A proud New Yorker to the end, Joan always said, “I live in Wisconsin but I am a New Yorker.”

Joan devoted her life to her four daughters, loving them and her family “above all else”. In 1971, she went to work for Johnson Wax. Managing a career and family of four small girls as a single mother wasn’t always easy, but Joan found a way. When asked how she did it Joan replied, “I don’t know. When you are a mother you just do it. You find the strength and courage to keep pushing through.”

Joan loved working at SC Johnson & Sons and worked there for 15 years until her early retirement in 1985. She felt she was too young for retirement and became a successful real estate agent here in Racine.

An avid skier who found many forever friends through the sport, Joan was a longtime member of the Racine Ski Club starting in 1962, as well as the Snomads and Vagabonds. Traveling the world and being active playing tennis, biking and above all, skiing were amongst her favorite things. She loved experiences that pushed beyond her fears and perceived limitations because of her age. Going rock climbing for the first time ever in Alaska at the age of 78, she was forever young!

Joan wanted to be remembered as a fun loving, kind woman who loved to laugh and whose friends were very important to her, but who loved her girls above all else.

A devoted mother who lived life to the fullest with her sense of humor, style and class. Anyone part of her life learned from her strength, love and joie de vivre. She gave encouragement, courage to believe in oneself, and to follow the path of one's dreams. Her bright smile and laughter will live on in the hearts of those lucky enough to have met her.

She is infinitely missed by her daughters: Denise (Rick) Hubbard-Feltes, Kerry (Marco) Hubbard, Dawn (Kevin) Esser, Blue (Amy) Benenati; her grandchildren: Brittany, Bryanna (Blake) and Meaghan. Joan also leaves behind her sister Margaret Walker and is blessed to have many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who have made her life so rewarding throughout these many decades. Preceded in death by her parents; Richard and Mary Bennett, brother Richie Bennett and sister Susan Murphy.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 2:00 until 5:00 pm. A short service will be held at 2:30 pm at Preservation Hall of Racine, 740 Lake Avenue, Racine, WI 53403. She was someone who always enjoyed a good party and we know that having a special gathering to celebrate her amazing life and honor her passing would bring her great joy.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HALO; haloinc.org in Joan’s name. Cards can sent to the Hubbard Family, 333 Lake Avenue #307, Racine WI, 53403.

The family would like to express their gratitude to all who visited Joan and kept her in their thoughts and prayers. A special thank you to Jocelyn Jusay, her devoted caretaker, Angel Sanchez, a true angel when we needed him most, her hospice nurses Mike and Nicole and the whole team at St Croix Hospice.