3/23/1949 – 11/16/2025
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Our beloved mother and grandmother, Joan Eileen Way (Tracy), passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 16, 2025, surrounded by the family she devoted her life to. Born in Seattle, Washington, Joan grew up in the Pacific Northwest—a place whose coastlines, forests, and ferries stayed in her heart forever.
Joan was preceded in death by her husband, William R. Way; her parents, James and Leone Tracy; her brother, David Maples; and her grandson, Alex Fasano. We take comfort knowing she is reunited with them now.
From the moment she was born, Mom was a fighter. Born with a deformed heart valve, she underwent open-heart surgery when the procedure was still in its infancy, becoming one of the youngest patients on record at the time. Though she was told she would only have a short life, she defied every expectation. She raised three boys, built a full and meaningful life, and cared for countless others as a lifelong registered nurse—sharing her gift for making people feel safe, seen, and comforted.
She is survived by her sons, James Fasano, Aaron Paden, and John Paden, whom she raised with unwavering love, as well as their spouses, Julie Fasano, Lane Eisenbart, and Erin Paden; and by the grandchildren she adored, Sophia Fasano, Arlo and Oscar Paden, and Elijah, Elliot, and Eagan Paden.
Joan was a force of nature. We often came home from school to discover she had single-handedly rearranged every piece of furniture in the house. Taking after her mother, she poured herself into creating a home—painting, decorating, and landscaping entire yards wherever she lived. Over the past 30 years, she likely fixed up and landscaped close to twenty houses across Washington, Kansas, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia, transforming each one with her signature energy and care.
Her sense of humor was one of her quiet joys. She loved British murder mysteries so dearly that when she once needed to call for help, she instinctively dialed 999—the British emergency number—instead of 911.
She loved to dance, putting on her favorite music and moving through the kitchen as she cooked or cleaned. She wanted to find joy in everything—loving her friends and family fiercely. When she wasn’t in the garden or tending to a home project, she wanted to be with family: in the mountains, at the beach, or camping with her recent husband Bill. These were her happiest places.
In her quieter moments, she could be found curled up with her dog Schatzi reading a murder mystery novel, watching British television, attending local theater, or breathing in the salt air of St. Augustine Beach. These small rituals were her sanctuary.
We will miss her every day, but we will carry her with us. She taught us to seek joy in the gardens we plant, the books we love, the places we return to, and the memories we make with family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joan’s honor may be made to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation: https://netrf.org/get-involved/give-now/
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