Joan (Powers) Cappelli

CAPPELLI, Joan (Powers), 90, of Springfield, went to her heavenly home on Saturday, October 3, 2020. She was born on June 15, 1930, daughter of the late Donald and Mary (Wood) Ritchie. Joan was a devoted wife to the love of her life, Dominick Cappelli, and they enjoyed over 55 wonderful years together. They died one day and 17 years apart. Joan was a trailblazer for many women in the workplace. She had a long, successful career at International Harvester. During her 30 years with the company she rose to the rank of Principal, making her the first woman in the history of the company to hold that title. She had a close knit group of female friends at work and socialized regularly over bowling or dinner. In the early 1950s, Joan was the first woman in Clark County to receive a home loan in her own name. Joan enjoyed traveling the globe with her husband, especially their trips to Italy, San Francisco, and Clearwater, Florida where they had a second residence. She loved candy, especially chocolate, and ice cream. To the astonishment of many, she ate copious amounts of See's Candies and never seemed to gain weight. She and Dominick closely followed the sport of horse racing and visited race tracks across the country. Coincidentally, Joan passed away the evening of the Preakness Stakes, the final horse race in the unprecedented 2020 Triple Crown series. Aside from spending time with her husband, she loved spending time with her identical twin daughters, June and Jane. They traveled all over together and eagerly awaited their semiannual shopping trips to Chicago. The tradition continued for over 35 years. She carried photos of her daughters and their families in her wallet throughout her life. She once told her grandson-in-law "I carry my family with me wherever I go." Joan will be remembered for her fiercely independent spirit, her impeccable sense of style, and her love of family. Joan is survived by her daughters, June McConnell of Springfield, Jane (Larry) Baker of Belle Center, Ohio, three grandchildren; Melanie (Nicholas) DiFeo of Powell, Mollie McConnell of Columbus, Alex (Michelle) Baker of Sleepy Hollow, New York, and one great-grand child, Jack Alexander Baker. She was preceded in death by her sister, Elinor Lou Ritchie, who passed away at the age of 11, her son-in-law, Jay McConnell and her favorite dog, Cricket. During the last two and half years of her life, she lived with her loving daughter June who cared for her with kindness and patience. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Amanda and Beth from Comfort Keepers for their wonderful care over the last several months. Due to COVID restrictions, the family will be holding a private graveside service with immediate family only. Memorial donations may be made to Ohio's Community Mercy Hospice.