Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

Joan Maureen Vetter, of Annapolis, MD, passed away peacefully on December 3, 2025, just days after celebrating her 95th birthday with all her children. Joan was born on November 17, 1930 in Jersey City, NJ, the daughter of the late Anna and George Nolan. She is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, William “Bill” Frank Vetter.

Joan is survived by her sister, Ann Reid of Stony Brook, NY, her brother Donald Coyne of Amston Lake, CT, and her five children Gerard (Kathleen) Vetter of Annapolis, MD; Thomas (Lynn) Vetter of Montgomery Village, MD; Janice (Bob Curran) Vetter of Baltimore, MD; Eileen (Nathan) Brandon of Salt Lake City, UT; and Paul (Janet) Vetter of Derwood, MD, her seven grandchildren, Drew (Tina Billiet) Vetter of Baltimore, MD; Suzanne (Andrew) Burnett of Annapolis, MD; Peggy (Jason) Dall’Acqua of Annapolis, MD; Hutton (Zoe) Brandon of Salt Lake City, UT; Nolan (Susan Fender) Brandon of Oak Harbor, WA; Lelia Vetter of Silver Spring, MD; Michael (Elizabeth) Vetter of Timomium, MD, and eight great grandchildren.

Despite losing her beloved father when she was age 7, Joan had a “wonderful childhood,” wrapped in the love of her maternal grandparents and cared for also by her mother’s two devoted sisters and their dear husbands. Joan recalls her grandmother spoiling her by allowing her to eat liverwurst sandwiches for breakfast.

Joan loved sharing family stories and memories, aptly describing herself as someone who always liked to talk and perform and stay busy. In her words, “I was never a quiet child.” Throughout her life, Joan was a faithful Catholic and credited the late Sister Eileen Marie and Sister Dolores Marie for their significant contributions to her academic and life achievements.

Joan graduated as valedictorian from Holy Rosary Academy in NJ in 1948, having earned a scholarship to attend there, and commuting to school via two different buses.

Joan was known for being a whirlwind of energy, with her strong work ethic evident even as a teenager when she helped sell newspapers at her Aunt Rose’s news stand at the NJ-NY ferry landing and also sold calendars for a funeral home. After gaining experience as a secretary at an investment firm during high school summer and holiday breaks, and attending secretarial school at night, Joan worked at Harris, Upham and Company on Wall Street, taking shorthand and typing correspondence for several brokers. While working full-time, Joan attended Hunter College.

Joan married Bill Vetter on June 30, 1951 at St. Catherine of Sienna Roman Catholic church in NY. Joan remembers their first date being at Sunken Meadow State Park in NY, accompanied by Joan’s sister, Ann, and Bill’s sister, Marian, who had conspired together to introduce the “St. Albans Girl” to the “Harvard Man” (as a 1951 Long Island Daily Press headline described the couple).

Joan and Bill lived on Long Island, NY and had five children before relocating in 1966 to Gaithersburg, MD where they lived for 25 years. They were active members of St. Martin’s Catholic Church, where Joan sang in the choir for many years.

Joan worked for Montgomery County Public Schools for 19 years, beginning as an inaugural career information technician at Poolesville High School in Poolesville, MD for four years and then directing the Career Information Center at Gaithersburg High School in Gaithersburg, MD for 15 years. Joan took pride in helping students make the right college choice and hoped she made a difference in those students’ lives.

After retiring, Joan and Bill lived in the Lake of the Woods community near Fredericksburg, VA for 15 years, and then settled at Lansdowne Woods in Lansdowne, VA for more than a decade. Joan moved to Annapolis, MD in 2021 to be near family.

Joan loved her large family, and most wanted to be remembered as a good mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother. She wanted her family to know how much she loved them and hoped she was a positive example to them.

The family would like to thank Joan’s caregivers at Sunrise Bay Village and Hospice of Chesapeake.

Friends are invited to celebrate Joan's life on Saturday, January 10 from 1 PM until the start of her service at 2:30 PM at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Road Edgewater, MD 21037. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Catholic Charities of Baltimore at cc-md.org or a charity of your choice.

Joan Maureen Vetter

Joan Maureen Vetter

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