Joan Szostkowski Obituary

Joan Barbara (Connell) Szostkowski, age 85, of Wilmington, Delaware, peacefully passed away surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Joan graduated from William Penn High School in 1958. She retired from Diamond State Telephone Company (Verizon) in 1995 after 30 years of service. In 1998, she went to work for New Castle County as a custodian, the last 3 years of that employment working part-time at the New Castle County Police Station in Middletown, Delaware. She loved working there and had great affection and respect for all the officers.

She was a Telephone Pioneer and was active in volunteering as a community and co-chairperson from 1995 to 2005. She loved to crochet and made many things for family and friends. She especially loved crocheting baby clothes. She loved getting together with her dear old telephone friends. She also loved to play bingo and cards. She belonged to the Foxy Shore Red Hatters which she enjoyed immensely. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends.

Joan is survived by her beloved husband of 64 years, John; daughters, Susan Peart, Kathleen Abbott and Karen Neubauer (James); brother, Thomas Connell (Chris); sisters-in-law, Dorothy Piekarski, Barbara Morris (Ronald) and Joanne Szostkowski; grandchildren, Kristin McCullin, David L. Hall, Jr., Danielle M. Smith (Alexander), Ashley Peart, Ryan Lindgren (Sandra), Lauren S. Abbott (Justin), Brian D. Abbott (Mariah), and Regan Szostkowski; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Joan was predeceased by her mother, Dorothy Nixon; father, Thomas Connell; brother, Robert Connell; beloved Aunt, Cecilia McKenzie; mother and father-in-law, Agatha and John Szostkowski, Sr.; sister-in-law, Joan Hogate; nephew, David Morris; and great-nephew, Bryan Kosc.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 1000 North DuPont Parkway, New Castle, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 12:00 p.m. Interment will be held privately in Gracelawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in memory of Joan Szostkowski to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online by clicking here.