Joan Conway of St. Louis passed away 6/24/25. Born December 6, 1933, Joan was the fifth and last surviving child of Leon and Margaret Newman. She was a northside Catholic girl growing up in Walnut Park and attended St. Philip Neri grade school and Laboure High School. She met her husband Jim Conway at a “Cherry Hop” at Corpus Christi in Jennings. They married June 4th, 1955.
Irish through and through, Joan approached life with passion. Her first passion was her husband of 70 years and her children. A few years after moving to the Shaw neighborhood, her husband embarked on a career in politics starting in the state legislature and culminating in a term as mayor of the City of St. Louis. She enjoyed traveling, playing the piano, playing cards, doing puzzles and of course – chocolate! Her grandchildren will always recall their trips out West with grandma and grandpa as they became teenagers as well as the holiday get togethers at their house.
She is survived by her husband Jim (92), and her children and their spouses: Mike (Sue), Steve (Christy), Diane (Kevin Hadler, dec’d), Matt (Mai) and Dan (Jeannine). She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren: Shaun, Jenna, Allison, Nick, Geoff, David, Michelle, Caitlin, Colleen and Clark; and by six great grandchildren: Wesley, Shaylee, Wyatt, Theo, Dean and Dakota.
A visitation will be held on Sunday 6/29 at Kutis Funeral Home (10151 Gravois) starting at 4:30pm. Funeral mass will be held at St. Margaret of Scotland (3854 Flad) on Monday 6/30 at 10am.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Margaret of Scotland’s Ladies Auxiliary. https://www.stmargaretstl.org/parish/give/
Sending love to all the Conways. The Newman girls (Charlie’s daughters) all remember her so fondly. May she rest in peace.
On behalf of the family of the late Anthony & Eileen (nee Forkan) Slay, from the ole neighborhood where our families were once neighbors on Flora Place, parishioners together at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, fellow classmates at SMOS Grade School and forever friends all the while, please accept our most heartfelt sympathy on your family’s loss and know too that we share in your sorrow and grieve for your loss.
So many good and fond memories of the Conway family, due in part because of the Irish connection Mrs. Conway and our mother had. Thank all of you for those memories. And it’s not so much the “things” we remember, but more how she, and all of you made us feel. Mrs. Conway will forever be remembered in our daily prayers to St. Patrick.
A favorite Irish prayer of my papa was one that he brought with him from the Village of Kiltimagh, County Mayo in 1912 when he was just 18 years young. “May the angels watch over you and guide you on your journey home, and that the winds of heaven blow softly in your ear and whisper just how much we love and miss you.”
danny-boy