Joyce Lanigan Obituary

Mystic - With deep sorrow we announce that our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Joyce Lanigan, passed away peacefully July 31, 2025, at the age of 93.

Born March 8, 1932, in Plainfield, N.J., Joyce was the daughter of Henry Alfred Hansen and Alice Johnston Hansen. She was the first of her family to graduate from college, earning a degree from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. After college, she worked as a registered medical technologist at various hospitals including the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.

After moving to New Jersey and raising her two children, Joyce rejoined the workforce and held various positions including the director of the Somerset County, New Jersey Cultural and Heritage Commission. After retiring in 1994, she lived in Basking Ridge and then Bridgewater, N.J., moving to Mystic, in 2019, where she lived independently and made countless friends at the StoneRidge Senior Living Community.

Her two children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren brought her immense joy. She loved all animals, and from 1966 until her death always had a dog or cat as her companion. An energetic traveler, she visited countless countries on five continents in her retirement. She was an avid and skilled bridge, mahjong and rummikub player right up until her passing.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that anyone is welcome to donate to one of Joyce's favorite charities in her honor: St. Jude’s Children's Research Center, the World Wildlife Fund, or the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.