Obituary of Joan A. McNitt

Joan A. McNitt, 86, of Niles, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at Lakeland Community Hospital in Niles. She was born on February 28, 1926 in Clyde, Ohio to the late Irvin and Gertrude (Freeh) Alspaugh. On April 12, 1947 she wed Gail McNitt at a ceremony in South Bend and celebrated over 65 years of marriage. Joan was first and foremost a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. A homemaker most of her life, after raising her children, Joan worked as a secretary at Simplicity Pattern, JC Penney's and Ft. Wayne National Bank. Joan enjoyed fishing, listening to music, cooking, baking, playing cards with friends and her time on the pontoon with her family. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Gail McNitt in 2012 and a sister MaryLou Hoffman. She is survived by her three sons; Brian (Mary Jean) McNitt of East Lansing, Terry (Linda) McNitt of Niles and Timothy (Amy) McNitt of Bellingham, Washington. She is also survived by her daughter Kathleen Lowe of Linton, Indiana, four grandchildren; James (Jennifer) Lowe, Kendra (Rob) Lasley, Sarah McNitt and Steven Lowe, her eight great-grandchildren; Ariel, Taylor, Jarika, Meagan, Pattie, Jason, Jakob and Noah and a brother Daniel (Joan) Alspaugh of Grand Ledge, Michigan and a sister Lois Dragoset of Houston, Texas. Those wishing to make a memorial donation may do so to the ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan 641 S. Crystal Ave. Benton Harbor, Michigan 49022 or Hospice at Home 4027 Health Park Lane, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085. Photos, memories, or condolences may be left for the family at www.BrownFuneralHomeNiles.com or www.Facebook.com\brownfuneralhomeniles. Funeral services will be Friday, February 1, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Brown Funeral Home with Rev. Jan Van Lear officiating. A time of visitation will begin one hour prior. An interment will follow the service at Silverbrook Cemetery.