Joan Hessian Smith

November 7, 1939 - September 18, 2021

SMITH, Joan Fay Hessian of Dover, Florida (formerly of Vestal, NY) went to be with her Heavenly Father on September 18th, 2021, after a long courageous battle with leukemia. Joan passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her family. Joan began her work career in photography, working as a developer’s technician for Ansco of Binghamton, New York, where she met, and later married her husband, Robert Barrett (of Vestal, New York). She and Robert went on to own their own family photography business and often photographed special events and advertisements for the local newspaper. Joan later remarried Robert Smith (of Horseheads, NY) and moved to Florida, bringing her then 6 small children to the Tampa area in a Volkswagen Beetle. Joan raised a total of 11 children – a fact she most proudly told everyone she ever met or came to know. She enjoyed photography, stamp collecting, large family gatherings, going to the beach, playing Mahjong, reading, sewing, crocheting, going to church and watching her favorite “programs” on HGTV. Joan most especially enjoyed large family holiday dinners, often inviting those spending the holidays alone to join our large family for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, where she was known for cooking enough food to “feed a small army”. Joan most recently worked in the Accounting department for Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, as the Payroll Administrator, where she retired after 17 years of service. Joan is preceded in death by her mother, Sarah Fay Wheeler; father, John Edward Hessian; husbands, Robert Barrett and Robert Smith; brother David Hessian; daughter, Melody Shively; and son, David Barrett (Thelma). She is survived by her sister, Sarah Fedoris, sons, Jeffrey Barrett (Sandi), Robert Barrett (Karla), James Barrett (Faye), Theodore Barrett; daughters, Carol Olmstead, Terri Barrett Muth, Amy Daniels, Elizabeth Schear (Wade), and Stephanie Daniels; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held this Thursday, September 23,rd, 2021, at Sunset Funeral Home & Memory Gardens, located at 11005 US HWY 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592, with Visitation beginning at 1:00 pm, Funeral Service at 2:00 pm and Internment at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in her honor to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (givenow.lls.org), Moffit Cancer Center (give.moffit.org), or the American Cancer Society (donate3.cancer.org).