JoAnn Hastings, educator, artist and animal enthusiast, entered eternal rest in the peace and comfort of her home on August 21, 2025. Born to the late David and Gloria (Mercier) Hastings in Springfield on May 3,1954.  She received her high school degree from West Springfield High School class of 1972.  She furthered her studies at Elms College, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in science. She chose a career that allowed her to combine her love of art and nature, teaching visual art for 33 years at the rigorous college preparatory school, the MacDuffie School in Springfield and now in Granby MA.  As a teacher, she excelled in skill building and instilling a sense of student pride in the artwork they produced.  She loved preparing students for careers in art, but found equal satisfaction imparting to her students the awareness that making art was a skill they could continue to enjoy for the rest of their lives, even if it wasn't their chosen profession. Even after retirement, JoAnn continued teaching. Last year she became a part time faculty member of St Thomas School in West Springfield MA.
JoAnn loved animals and considered them to be Mother Natures greatest gift.  She was an accomplished equestrian who enjoyed not only riding in dressage style but also teaching others to ride as well.  She had 2 cats which were real characters, Ming a cross-eyed, ring-tailed Siamese and KC a Manx-mix barn cat. She was an avid dog lover and had 2 Airedales, Rume and Gi. They brought her immense joy and entertainment. She often said that the reason she loved Airedales so much was because she enjoyed watching them figure things out; the teacher in her was ever-present. She was also a dedicated member of the New England Airedale Terrier Club. This organization meant the world to her. She was so grateful for the way they took care of her two girls, as if they were their own.
Surviving JoAnn is her loving brother Mark Hastings and his wife Jesyln, her beloved aunts, Saundra Magistri and Julie Fitzgerald, her devoted friends Denise Boutin and her Husband Art Christian, her many cousins and friends she made throughout her life.  If you wish to remember JoAnn in a special way, please consider a memorial donation to the Dakin Humane Society, 171 Union Street Springfield, MA 01105.
A Liturgy of Christian Burial being held on September 4, 2025 at 9:30 A.M. at St Thomas the Apostle Church in West Springfield will be dedicated in her honor.