Joyce A. Corcoran

Joyce Ann (Johnston) Corcoran, 72, was loved by everyone whose lives she touched. She passed away peacefully and unexpectedly on the evening of Saturday, January 5th, 2019. That morning, she enjoyed coffee and breakfast with her husband of 39 years, John Corcoran. She had just left a pedicure with her daughter, Jennifer Vernetti and granddaughter, Presley. She fought through numerous health issues, including metastatic breast cancer and a cardiac arrest last winter with courage and grace, and never a complaint. Nothing could prevent her from being with her family, and her grandchildren were the light of her life.
On February 4th, 2018, Joyce suffered a cardiac arrest at home. Her life was saved by her husband’s instant response and initiation of CPR. Against the odds, she was home 2 weeks later, and well enough to attend Disney on Ice with her husband, children and grandchildren shortly after. That event served as a reminder to the whole family that death can come at any time, and to make to most out of every day we have together. In her last year, she was able to attend a Royal Winter Ball with her granddaughters, Concerts in the Park with her kids and grandkids, City Market, birthday parties of all of her children and grandchildren, attend numerous basketball and football games of her grandson Gabe, her granddaughter Lily’s first ballet recital, swimming classes, and preschool concerts, her grandson Jude’s baptism, and share countless breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners and drinks with friends and family. She enjoyed a final holiday season, making the rounds through several gatherings of friends and extended family. She was truly unstoppable; bursting with love, faith, and appreciation for everyone, everything and every day of her life.
Joyce was born August 20th, 1946 in Beloit, Wisconsin to David and Geraldine (Stokes) Johnston. She graduated St. Edwards Catholic Grade School in 1960 and was a proud graduate of the charter class of Boylan Catholic High School in 1964. She attended St. Anthony’s School of Nursing and took her first job as a registered nurse at the VA Hospital in Iowa City in 1968. She returned to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in 1971 where she spent her nursing career until her retirement in 2013. She proudly recalled losing a shoe in wet cement on the roof of the hospital while attending to a code during hospital construction. Her co-workers were like family, with whom she maintained close relationships. She attended regular brunches with them until her passing.
Joyce is survived by her husband, John Corcoran, children Michael (Lorie) Corcoran, Jennifer (David) Vernetti, Phillip Corcoran, and Dean (Vicki) Corcoran, sister Annette (Richard) McNabb, brother Paul (Kit) Johnston, grandchildren Gabriel and Presley Vernetti, Liliana and Jude Corcoran, Eric Corcoran and Elizabeth Hotchkiss and great grandchildren Jacob and Jeremiah Hotchkiss, dogs Jack and Lucy, grand-dogs Charlie, Clover, Gemma and Cici, and an exhaustive list of over 50 nieces, nephews, and cousins. Joyce was the matriarch of a large extended family who regularly gathered in her home for Sunday dinners. Her family was fortunate to have such a grand “encore” to her life, following her first cardiac arrest. Let it serve as a reminder to all of us that there are no guarantees of tomorrow, so be fully present and hold your loved ones close and enjoy a Brandy Old Fashioned in Joyce’s honor.
The family would like to extend our gratitude to her physicians who went above and beyond all expectations in caring for her, including her oncologist, Dr. Ajaz Khan, primary care physician Dr. Neal Kellenberger, nephrologist Dr. Krishna Sankaran, and cardiology team Dr. Ian Goldberg, Dr. John Kaminski and Laura Padron, APN.

Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Thursday, January 10, 2019 at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 2400 Bell Ave, Rockford, IL 61103. Visitation Wednesday from 5 – 7 p.m. with a rosary to follow at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford, IL 61108. A second visitation will be 9 a.m. until time of Mass at the church. Arrangements by Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory – Send online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com