Joan B. Lashley

Joan Buenaventura Lashley of Bowie, Maryland departed this life on November 18, 2020 in hospice care, surrounded by her family’s love, at the age of 58.  She was born on June 19, 1962 in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in the Mount Vernon area.   Joan graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in 1980 and then attended Virginia Commonwealth University.  She had a passion for the culinary arts and worked in Hilton Head, St. Maarten and Washington DC as a food and beverage director.  She married Gary Lashley in 1993 and worked in a Washington DC law firm while starting a family of three boys, Kevin, Brian and Sean.  While raising her children she became a certified day care provider and also worked in a Montessori school.    She volunteered countless hours for her sons’ schools, working with the athletic boosters, PTA and fund raising events for the school community.   Joan was a very devoted mother and proud of her sons.  She had a lifelong passion for cooking and was a personal chef as well as a pastry chef.  Joan also had a love of travel and she had many memorable vacations to the beach, Disneyworld, Alaska, and Australia.  Joan loved Christmas!  Every year she would bake one of her famous gingerbread houses from scratch, and would always create amazing desserts for family gatherings.  She was also an animal lover and took care of any animal that came to her doorstep, in addition to their family pets.  Joan loved her job as a parish secretary at St. Joseph’s Parish in Odenton, Maryland.  Her colleagues were like a second family and supported her always.  Joan is survived by her three sons, Kevin Wilson Lashley, Brian Robert Lashley and Sean Kelly Lashley, and her ex-husband Gary to whom she remained close.  She is survived by her mother, Geraldine Buenaventura and her sisters, Kathryn Buenaventura Fialk and Susan Buenaventura and seven nieces and nephews.  She is pre-deceased by her father, Frank Buenaventura.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a private funeral Mass was held at St. Joseph’s Parish and presided over by her close friend Reverend James Kiesel, “Father Jim”, on Monday November 23, 2020.   A memorial Mass will be held at a later date for family and friends.

The family of Joan asks that if you wish to make a contribution, please direct it to St. Joseph’s Parish in Odenton, Maryland, in honor of Joan.    

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