Lucille Ann Joel, an Edgartown summer resident for over 55 years, died on Oct. 13 at Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River, N.J. She was 88 years old.
Lucille lived an extraordinary, generous and joyful life. To the nursing world, she was Dr. Lucille Joel: a visionary scholar, author of four authoritative textbooks and a two-term president of both the New Jersey State Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association. She championed the dignity and power of nurses across the nation and around the globe. Yet to those who loved her most, she was simply Lucille, Mom, and Grandma by many names. She was a devoted wife and the steadfast anchor of a large, vibrant family — a woman just as comfortable leading international delegations as she was cheering for her 8 children and 23 grandchildren from the stands.
Born on Sept. 6, 1938, in Jersey City, N.J., Lucille was a first-generation American and the first in her family to graduate high school. She didn’t wait for life to invite her in; she made things happen. Lucille began working at St. Mary’s Hospital in Hoboken at just 16 years old. Four years later, she married the love of her life, Richard (Dick) Joel, and enrolled at Seton Hall University while starting their family. She eventually became a tenured professor at Seton Hall and the founding director of its graduate nursing programs.
Lucille’s ambition and drive were unparalleled. She was a woman ahead of her time. While working full-time and managing a growing household, she earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Columbia University. Rutgers University later recruited her to join its nursing faculty, where she dedicated 47 years before retiring as distinguished professor emerita in 2024.
Across five decades, she educated thousands of nurses, received honorary doctorates from Georgetown, Villanova, Thomas Jefferson and the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and earned numerous national honors, including U.S. Presidential appointments. She believed deeply in the bedside nurse, dedicating her career to ensuring they were respected, well-educated and heard worldwide as first vice president of the International Council of Nurses.
Together, Lucille and Dick shared 67 years of devoted partnership and boundless curiosity. They journeyed across all 50 states and 88 countries, taking special delight in visiting eastern France (Alsace-Lorriane) and northern Italy, where her parents were born. All the children, their spouses and grandchildren were invited on annual trips to explore the world and form everlasting memories together. Family trips included Vietnam, Cambodia, Israel, Egypt, England, Spain and Portugal.
Despite international recognition, Lucille’s heart remained anchored in Oradell, N.J., where she and Dick built their home of over 60 years. She immersed herself in the community as PTA president, perennial class mother, parish council member at St. Joseph Church, avid Cub Scout recruiter and an enthusiastic sports fan whose signature, ear-shattering holler echoed across athletic fields for two generations.
Summers meant Martha’s Vineyard. Lucille, Dick and their children would pile into “Big Red” and head to Katama, settling into the summer home Lucille designed in the early 1970s. Those cherished seasons were filled with afternoons at South Beach, sunset evenings on the second-floor deck and crowded, laughter-filled dinners around the table.
Of every title she held, being a mother brought her the greatest joy. Her advice was sought by many, and she always thought of family in the broadest sense. She was a second mother to countless friends, and Lucille and Dick’s Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve buffets welcomed anyone in need of love and celebration.
Lucille is reunited in peace with her parents and brother.
She leaves behind her beloved husband, Dick; her eight children, Edward (Maureen), Lawrence (Denise), Richard Jr. (Kimberly), William (Francesca), Peter (Jennifer), Mary O’Connell (Jamie), Michael (Chris), and Anne Canzani (Rob); her 23 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
As has been said: Vita Mutatur, Non Tollitur — Life is changed, not taken away.