Joan A. Cole

Joan A. Cole, age 85, long-time area resident of Cream Ridge, passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Samaritan Center in Mt. Holly. She was born on January 8, 1941, in Hoboken, NJ to the late Clark and Elizabeth Lum.

Joan found joy in cooking and baking for her family and friends. She was also an avid seamstress, making clothes for her entire family (often without a formal pattern), as well as curtains and furniture slipcovers. She enjoyed gardening, using whatever food was harvested not only to feed her family but also to share with others. She also loved flowers and enjoyed spending time in her flower beds. Joan cherished traveling with her husband, Al, to places as diverse as China, New Zealand, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Alaska, Hawaii and Bermuda, and taking RV trips all over the United States. Family vacations to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were particular favorites. During their journeys, they encountered people all over the world, many of whom became lifelong friends. Joan was an outgoing person, thriving in social settings. As a deaconess in their church congregation, Joan set an example for others. For a number of years, she oversaw the food service portion of church youth camps around the country. She was the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman and was highly respected and cherished by everyone around her.

Joan is predeceased by her parents, Clark and Elizabeth (nee Sabo) Lum. She leaves behind her beloved husband of 67 years, Al Cole; her two children, Terry Cole and his wife Teresa, and Nancy Burfeind and her husband Daniel; her grandson, David Cole and his wife Jordan; her two great-grandchildren, Matthew and Layla; her siblings, Peter Lum, Gary Lum and his wife Alana, Susan McCarty and her husband Joe, Sarah Jackson and her husband Rich, and Janet Lindsay and her husband Tom; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services are being held privately at the convenience of the family. All arrangements are under the direction of Tilghman Funeral Home, New Egypt, NJ.