Joan Sands

Joan Elizabeth Sands, 83, of East Berlin went home to be with the Lord on May 3, 2015. Born in Saco, Maine on April 4, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Ralph and Mildred (Benson) Sands. She was the middle of 8 children. Joan graduated from Thorton Academy in 1951 in Saco, Maine. Following graduation, she worked assembling printed circuit boards in an electronics firm in Hillsborough, NH. In 1962, she moved to CT with her brother Raymond and began working for Raymond Engineering in Middlefield for several years. Joan worked at UTC in Hartford, Farmington and Middletown until her retirement in 1991. She was an assembler and drill press operator for 15 years. Joan was a lover of animals. She was a rabbit breeder for many years and received numerous trophies showing her dwarfs and checkered giants bunnies at the Berlin Fair. She also loved her dogs! Joan loved working outdoors and helping her nephew Leo with his firewood, helping with various fix-it projects around the house, church and Little Blessings Preschool. She was happiest when she was playing with her dogs or working with her hands or helping to fix something for someone. Joan was a member of the Salvation Army for a number of years, where she played the trumpet, sang duets in church and played her trumpet on the street corners. In 1997 Joan joined Bethany Covenant Church where she was an active member & sang in the Sanctuary Choir for 17 years. Joan is survived by her longtime friend Lillian Bragg, her nephew Leo Bragg & wife, Beverly, all of East Berlin; her brother Raymond Sands of Rocky Hill; her niece, Joanie Sands McKenzie and husband, Mark of Maine. Joan was preceded in death by six of her brothers and sisters. Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 10 AM at Bethany Covenant Church, 785 Mill St., Berlin. Burial will follow in Wilcox Cemetery, East Berlin. Calling hours are Wednesday from 5-8 PM at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home, 411 So. Main St., New Britain. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.