Joan (Downey) Biernacki passed away on January 19, 2024, surrounded by her loving grandchildren, following a valiant battle with lung cancer.  She was 90 years old.

Joan was born February 12, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, to Thomas Downey and Helen Weincek, the eldest daughter of five children.  She spent her childhood terrorizing New York with her brothers, ice skating in Central Park, drinking egg creams at the local soda shop, and almost bowling a perfect game.  On April 16, 1955, she married Frank "Babe" Biernacki, and together they raised their daughter, Lisa.  In 1974, they moved from Queens to Tappan, New York, where Joan resided for almost 50 years.  As a former employee of Pan Am Airways, Joan loved to travel, exploring and adventuring around the world.  She was a devout Catholic and an active member of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Tappan, New York, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister.

Joan will be remembered for her unending love and her unfailing strength, faith, and independence.  She taught us to persevere in the face of adversity with kindness, dignity, grace, and just a little bit of sass.  She showed us that you don't have to trade being strong for being kind, being powerful for being polite, or being brilliant for being humble.  Finally, she taught us that life is short - so ride the roller coasters and eat dessert first - especially if it's cookies and ice cream.

Joan is predeceased by her husband, Frank Biernacki; daughter Lisa (Biernacki) Bennice; parents Thomas and Helen Downey; brothers Thomas and Dennis Downey; sister Mary Ann Downey; brother-in-law Stanley Biernacki; and sisters-in-law, Margaret Downey, Anna Downey, and Stella Biernacki.  She is survived by her grandchildren Matthew Bennice and his wife Portia Gillespie, Jennifer Bennice and her husband Michael Hall, and Michelle (Bennice) Funk and her husband James Funk; great-grandchildren Elisabeth and Jack Funk; son-in-law Carl Bennice; brother Robert Downey and his wife Theresa Downey; too many beloved nieces and nephews to list without exceeding the word limit; and, of course, her favorite pups - Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto.

Visitation hours will be held Tuesday, January 23, 2 - 4pm and 7 - 9pm at Moritz Funeral Home in Tappan.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 10am at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Tappan New York.  Burial will follow at the family plot at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Nanuet, New York.