Joanne E. (Lowry) Dillon

RUTLAND – Joanne E. (Lowry) Dillon, 72, beloved wife of the late Gilbert F. Dillon, Jr., passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester.
Joanne was born in Brighton and raised in Belmont, a daughter of the late John and Ann (Sullivan) Lowry. After graduating from Mount Trinity Academy in 1966, she went on to further her education by attending Boston College and Lasell University, where she earned her RN.

While at BC, she met and fell in love with Gil Dillon. They soon married and had 44 years together that was filled with love, laughter, and never a dull moment. They raised their family in Acton Ma, for 30 wonderful years, where Joanne was an active participant and volunteer in all her children’s activities. She chaperoned field trips, attended games, helped out on field days, and taught religious education to name a few. All this before moving to the “family compound” that Gil dreamed up and Joanne spearheaded in 2004.

Together Gil and Joanne had four children: Gilbert “Rusty” Dillon III and his wife, Amelia, Kathryn “Kate” Brush, John “Jay” Dillon and his wife, Jaime and Megan Greevy and her husband, Famy, all of Rutland. She was an amazing Nana to her 13 grandchildren, Carina, Diana, Conor, Sheahan, Maeve, Tierney, Ryan, Luke, Bryn, Devan, Kalliyan, Kiera, and Famy, Jr. Nana loved being surrounded by her family, where they shared many donut Fridays, casual get-togethers with afternoon swims, and she never missed a school concert.

Joanne enjoyed a long nursing career and was a well-respected and compassionate Emergency Room Nurse starting at Sancta Maria Hospital in Cambridge and ending at Emerson Hospital in Concord. After hanging up her scrubs due to health issues, she worked as a case manager for Private Healthcare Systems in Waltham for an additional 15 years prior to retiring.

She was an avid reader, Jeopardy enthusiast, and a Disney World aficionado. She loved planning and spending time in Disney World with her family. She had a great sense of humor and a quick wit, which she shared with her children. She believed that chocolate could fix any problem and devoted an entire bread drawer to it. She loved and was well-loved.

In addition to her children and grandchildren, Joanne also leaves behind her sister Janice O’Toole and her husband John, and her two brothers, John “Jed” Lowry and his wife, Janet, and Jerome “Jerry” Lowry: as well as many nieces and nephews, and her many good friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11 in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12 at St. Patrick’s Church, 258 Main Street, Rutland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Saint Patrick’s Knights of Columbus 258 Main Street, Rutland, Ma 01543.

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