Joy Marguerite (Gallion) Sprague

Joy Marguerite Sprague

White Plains, New York, July 20, 1936–May 27, 2019, Milford, Connecticut

It is with great sorrow that the daughters of Joy Marguerite Sprague, 82, of Milford and formerly of Norwalk, Connecticut, announce the passing of their beloved mother, on May 27, 2019. Born on July 20, 1936, in White Plains, New York, Joy was the daughter of the late Oscar Wilhelm Gallion, originally of Freiburg, Germany, and Frances Marguerite Gallion, née Stoehr, originally of Strasbourg, France.

Joy graduated from White Plains High School in 1954. She earned an associate’s degree in Merchandising from Averett College, in Danville, Virginia, in 1956. Upon graduation, she worked as a buyer in the lingerie department at the luxury department store B. Altman, on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Joy later worked in the marine transport industry, first at Mormac Marine Group, Inc., and then at Crowley Maritime Corporation, where she was responsible for crewing vessels that traveled overseas to ports as far as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Haifa, Israel. In 2003 Joy earned a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Maritime Administration for her assistance in transporting military supplies during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Joy is survived by her loving daughters, Kimberly Joy Conner and Tiffany Hope Sprague; her son-in-law, Douglas Conner, and two beloved grandchildren, Huxley and Caxton Conner; and her older brother, Norman Oscar Gallion, and nephews, Travis and Chad Gallion. She was predeceased by her younger sister, Susan Gallion.

Both of Joy’s parents came through Ellis Island in the 1920s, and Joy inherited their strength and determination. Her father owned Oscar’s Delicatessen in White Plains. Joy’s greatest loves were her two daughters and her grandson and granddaughter. She was a pianist and an avid gardener, and she enjoyed tending to her rock gardens. While raising her children, Joy made and sold crafts, including sewn Christmas ornaments. Later in life, she returned to her earlier love of crafting, making hand-stamped cards for friends and family.

All services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider supporting research into myelofibrosis, a rare type of blood cancer that Joy was diagnosed with nine years ago. Contributions may be made to the MPN Research Foundation at www.mpnresearchfoundation.org . Their mission is simple: “To stimulate original research in pursuit of new treatments—and eventually a cure—for polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and myelofibrosis, known collectively as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).” Joy was also a longtime supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, http://donate.lls.org/lls/donate. 

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