Joan Abeshouse Grossman, née Pines, was born on Nov. 23, 1931, and raised in New York City. She passed away on Feb. 15, 2024, at the age of 92, in Branford. Joan was a caring mother, a public-spirited woman, and a talented artist.

Joan attended Brooklyn Friends School for her primary education and Birch Wathen in Manhattan for high school. She furthered her studies at Smith College and later earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Bridgeport.

During college, Joan spent a year studying in Paris soon after the end of World War II, where her interest and abilities in art bloomed. After graduating from Smith in 1952, she met and married Arthur Abeshouse, a Yale Law School graduate. They settled in Milford and had three children. After Arthur died from cancer in 1977, she met and married Jon Grossman in 1986. They enjoyed a joyous life on the shores of Long Island Sound in Branford’s Stony Creek, where Joan served as the first mate for Jon, an avid sailor. They traveled widely and participated together in local politics. Joan also served 15 years as a docent at the Yale Center for British Art.

In 1977, Joan began working with Cooperative Educational Services, a nonprofit public education agency, where she ran programs helping teachers prepare students for the workplace and unskilled workers for new careers. Joan helped found the External Diploma Program, which provided competent Connecticut adults with an alternative pathway to earning a high school diploma. As a member of the Governor’s Job Training Partnership, she helped expand employment opportunities in the state. Joan ran as a candidate for the Connecticut State Senate in 1982 and served as a member and Chairman of the Board of Education in Milford from 1973 to 1983.

Joan is survived by her husband of 38 years, Jon Grossman; her children, Jill Abeshouse Stern (Jeffrey), Robert Abeshouse (Yael Dresdner), and Michael Abeshouse; stepchildren, Perry Grossman (Carrie James) and Linda Grossman (Craig Katko); her brother Dr. Joseph Pines (Lois); four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter; and five step-grandchildren.

The memorial service was held on Feb. 18, 2024, at the Robert Shure Funeral Home in New Haven.

In memory of Joan, contributions can be made to Connecticut Hospice at 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford, CT 06405.