Joan Charlotte Birdsall

Joan Charlotte Birdsall, formerly Joan O'Connell, 88, eldest daughter of Charles and Rosalie Gutsell, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2025, at 4:05 PM at Atrium Hospital in Pineville, NC due to respiratory illness. Based on her wishes, end of life care was used and she passed peacefully and comfortably.

Joan is preceded in death by her first husband, William O’Connell, her eldest son, Sean O’Connell, siblings Joyce, Charlie, Jimmy, and Phillip, and her second husband, Russell Birdsall. She is survived by her children, Brian and Keith; sisters, Mary, Rosie, and Jean; and brothers, Rich and Gerald. Most of Joan’s family and friends reside in her birthplace of Chicago, so with respect to her wishes, a ceremony and burial of ashes near her beloved husband William and son Sean O’Connell will be announced for this Spring in Chicago at St. Boniface cemetery.

Joan had a long life and experienced many significant changes and losses, but always remained determined and strong, maintained herself with dignity, and could be relied upon to be for you if an injustice was evident. She maintained a fondness for life, always putting on the best possible family gatherings she could, even when her health was deteriorating, and held on as long as she could to witness major life events of family. She could be tough, but as her children, we always knew her love, with her always having our back and remaining near to us throughout her life. We always looked forward to returning to her holiday gatherings, to share our lives with her, and intense late night scrabble games. Her presence will be deeply missed by all who got to know her.