Sister Joan Marie Crapps, 77, died peacefully at St. Joseph Living Center on March 16, 2026 from complications of the treatment for the cancer with which she had lived for seven years. Sister was born in St. Paul Minnesota on December 21, 1948, the daughter of the late Steve and Eda Mae (Dreager) Crapps. She entered the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church in Baltic, CT in September of 1966 professed Perpetual Vows in 1975. She spent more than fifty years teaching first and second graders with great talent and attentive care at St. Joseph School in Baltic for 26 years and at Catholic schools in Byram, Manchester, Willimantic, Old Saybrook and Taftville until she made the difficult decision to step away from the classroom for health reasons.
She will be remembered especially for her deep devotion to bringing her children to the feet of
Jesus at the altar, guiding them in adoration and prayer.
Sister is survived by her Religious Sisters in Community and her sisters Joan (Joe) Ducharme, Sandy (Dan) Benham, Susan (Mike) Roberts, and Laurie (Ken) Kroyer, and her brother Steve (Kathy) Crapps, as well as many nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved deeply. She greatly appreciated her many friends who supported her with their prayers and visits through the years. The care she received from her physicians and other providers at Hartford Healthcare, especially Kristen Joly, and the devoted staff at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham made it possible for her to live life intentionally and peacefully until the last day of her earthly journey.
Friends may call at the Motherhouse in Baltic, CT on:
Thursday and Friday, March 19th and 20th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and
Saturday, March 21st before the funeral Mass which begins at 10:00 a.m.
* Please see parking information below
The funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Motherhouse Chapel.
Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery, Baltic, CT.
Following the burial, please join us for a light luncheon at the Academy Dining Room on campus, where her life will be celebrated with fellowship and stories.
* Please see parking information below
* IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION
– There is limited parking available at the Motherhouse. Please reserve this space for those requiring accessible parking
– General parking is available across the street in the St. Mary’s Church parking lot
– You may also drop off passengers at the blue door in the back of the Motherhouse prior to parking in the St. Mary’s Church parking lot
Godere Funeral Home is assisting the Sisters with the arrangements.
In gratitude for the life and ministry of Sister Joan Marie
Memorial gifts may be made in her name to a scholarship fund for
Sacred Heart School, 15 Hunters Ave, Taftville, CT 06380
or
St. Joseph School, 10 School Hill Road, Baltic, CT 06330,
… nurturing future generations in faith and knowledge.
Funeral Mass
If you are unable to join us and would like to view the live stream of the Mass, you can do so on the SCMC Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/scmc.baltic
Or watch below: Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
(The sound will be off until the start of the Funeral Mass. If you still cannot hear it at that point, please check the speaker icon at the bottom of the video screen to ensure that it is not crossed off and on mute.)March
Share a memory
In the comment box below, you can send condolences or share your favorite memories of Sister Mercedes with her family and the Sisters.
Thank you for taking the time to share. God bless you!
In His Peace and Merciful Love,
and then