Joan "Jodi" Day

Joan Day, 71, of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, passed away on November 11th, 2024, at Hope Hospice and Palliative Care of Rhode Island, surrounded by her loving family.

Joan, better known as Jodi, was born on November 3rd, 1953, in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Joan Prendergast Pilz and Sanford Olcott Pilz. Jodi, raised in Newington, CT, was the quintessential middle child, looking up to her talented, theatrical sister Linda, while being the hip role model for the younger, athletic Sandy. She was outspoken, artistic, and a constant source of comic relief, especially at inappropriate times, a trait she passed on to all three of her children. She graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, CT, where she was known for her intelligence, charm, singing voice, and social activism, and later earned bachelors and Master’s degrees from St. Joseph’s College and Central Connecticut State University in Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapy. Jodi proudly worked as a therapist for over 30 years, serving countless individuals and families across Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Jodi was fulfilled not just through her work. She married the love of her life, Carl Day, on September 25th, 1977, in Newington, CT. They were introduced on a blind date by two of their lifelong friends, Marianne (Cote) Kupiec and Dan Kupiec, and for years the two families shared adventures together, camping at Moosemeadow, enjoying family cookouts, and watching all of their children grow up together. Jodi and Carl raised their three children, Rachael, Phillip, and Michael, first in New Britain, before later moving to Plainville. Rachael was the first to give Jodi and Carl a grandchild, bringing Danielle Lynn Dupont Day into their world, and later marrying Jodi’s “favorite son,” Jamie Dupont, Rachael’s high school sweetheart. Phillip married Kate Lamb Day in 2006, shortly after they met walking distance from Carl and Jodi’s beach house in Matunuck, Rhode Island, and Kate quickly became another daughter to Jodi. Phillip and Kate blessed Jodi with two more beloved grandchildren, Maiza Pearl Day and Elliott Carl Day. In 2018 the family was finally complete when Michael married Jenna Day, and Jodi’s third daughter gave her two more great joys: granddaughters Annabel Joan Day and Cecilia Audra Day. When Jodi’s youngest son Michael fell out of remission from his ulcerative colitis this past year, it was Nana, without hesitation, who took care of Annabel and Cecelia so their dad could heal from four surgeries. Jodi felt pure happiness being a Nana to her grandchildren.

Jodi and Carl resided in Matunuck, Rhode Island, exclusively since 2020, but this home was the heart of their family since the 1990’s. There, music was the epicenter of Jodi’s family gatherings through both good and challenging times. The beautiful harmonies Jodi would sing with her siblings, Linda and Sandy, could be heard at every family function; even in her last days in hospice she sang with her family. Jodi loved seeing her son Michael perform live with his bands onstage, but the best venue was the front porch, where friends and family would congregate on weekends and holidays, none bigger than the yearly 4th of July celebration.

Whatever anyone needed, Jodi gave. Her heart was huge. She became everyone’s second mom. She never hesitated cooking a meal for loved ones when they fell ill. Her daily phone calls with Sandy, Beth, Dick, and Linda were filled with laughter, love, insight, and healing. Playing cribbage with her own mother Joan, whom she was named after, turned into a family tradition. She enjoyed watching Jeopardy with Carl and Danielle every night, trying to beat their previous high scores.

Remaining to cherish Jodi’s memory are her husband Carl Day, children Rachael and Jamie Dupont; Phillip and Kate Day; Michael and Jenna Day, grandchildren Danielle, Maiza, Elliott, Annabel and Cecilia Day; siblings Linda and Dick Napoletano; Sandy and Elizabeth Pilz; sister and brother-in-law Elizabeth Otto and Jon Ward; and many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins. She will be sorely missed.

Preceding Jodi in death are her parents Sanford Olcott Pilz and Joan Prendergast Pilz; sister and brother-in-law Laraine and Edward Stohl; brother-in-law Jim Day; and nephew Eric Day.

Calling hours will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 10am to 12pm in Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia Street, Wakefield. A funeral service will immediately follow at 12pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/?form=FUNPLAUFZKV