Obituary of Joyce D. Hogan

LATHAM - Joyce Ann Dempster Hogan passed away on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Despite this terrible disease changing how she spent her days her spirit will be missed by all who knew her.

Joyce was born in Little Falls, NY on January 5th, 1946, to Stella Dempster and John Dempster (Darmstadter). Despite an absent father, who she had no recollection of ever having spoken a word, Joyce's childhood was filled with love. In addition to her loving mother, she had several uncles and aunts who treated her as if she were their own. She graduated from Little Falls High School in 1964, where she was involved in basketball, volleyball, and cheerleading. With the financial support of her dear Uncle Carl and Aunt "Meetsie" Marian Kopp, she moved to Albany to work and to attend the State University of Albany. It was during this time she met the love of her life, Arthur Hogan. When they met, her future husband was a handsome bank teller, and she often spoke about how she made sure to get in his line when cashing her paychecks!

Joyce and Art married on October 24, 1970, and enjoyed many happy years together residing in Latham, raising their two children, and enjoying all of the delights of parenthood and one another. They enjoyed supporting their many nieces and nephews whether on a court or field or school play, and even more enjoyed the same with their children, David and Sue. They were long-time communicants of Our Lady of the Assumption Church and big supporters of Shaker High School athletics. Sadly, some of her life's joy came to an end when Art died suddenly in 1993.

Joyce's later years brought back much of the spark that she demonstrated as a young mother. Above all, Joyce loved her grandchildren Spencer, Max, and Kelsey whom she would tell anyone who would listen how there was, "no greater love than that of a grandchild." She attended as many of their events as she could and was always on the sidelines or in the audience cheering them on.

Joyce enjoyed simple things, such as McDonald's filet of fish sandwiches, Ted's Fish Fry and reading the Times Union, simple pleasures her son David would bring with him each time he'd visit her during the last 15 months of her life when she was no longer mobile.

Joyce loved Cape Cod. Throughout her adult life, the family would make yearly visits, beginning when she and Art were newlyweds, and ending in recent years when travel became a burden. Each time she crossed the Sagamore Bridge she'd repeat that she was, "leaving her worries behind" and that's when she turned into "beach Joyce". She loved Craigville Beach dipping her toes into the ocean and walking up and down Main Street in Hyannis and Commercial Street in Provincetown. Her children would only learn in their adulthood that there were other beaches on the Cape, she loved Craigville Beach that much!

She was a faithful New York Yankee and Dallas Cowboy fan, and never remarried due to the age difference between her and Troy Aikman. She loved Elvis Presley's gospel music, and listening to Alan Jackson and Toby Keith.

Joyce loved to shop, always finding a bargain, and often buying just to buy, even if she did not need it. Joyce and her daughter Sue would often shop till they dropped at the outlets in Lee, MA. In later years when it became more difficult for her to get around, those trips turned into weekly Walmart visits and dinners out with Sue and her boyfriend Rick.

Joyce worked for many years for the Town of Colonie, and before that for Thomas Nicolla, PT, and Harry A. Allen, Esq.

Joyce is survived by her son David Hogan and his fiancé Jennifer Fielding, daughter Suzanne, and her significant other Richard Lehnert as well as grandchildren Spencer, Max, and Kelsey.

She is also survived by her sister Lucille Shepardson, in-laws Alice Hogan Murabito, William McCormick, Diane Hogan, and Julie Dempster, her favorite cousin and life-long partner in crime Kay Martin, many wonderful nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews, whom she loved dearly, and her best friend Linda Renchkovsky.

She was preceded in death by her husband Arthur, mother Stella, brother Jack, nephews Jeffrey Shepardson, Jimmy and Danny Murabito, Scott McCormick, and Fred Hogan, faithful dog Olivia Travolta Hogan, and numerous cats.

In the words of Joyce (and Bill Hayley), "See you later alligator, after 'while Crocodile'."

Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Tuesday, April 30th, 2024, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Assumption Church (chapel), 498 Watervliet Shaker Rd., Latham. Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow the visitation beginning at 10:00 AM. Interment and Rite of Committal to follow at St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands where Joyce will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Arthur.

In lieu of flowers, the family and Joyce would welcome donations to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York, and your prayers to see us through this difficult time.

Arrangements have been entrusted by the family to the care of The Dufresne & Cavanaugh Funeral Home. For further information or to leave a condolence message for the family please visit www.dufresneandcavanaugh.com.