Cambridge City Councillor Joan Pickett, passed away on August 31, 2024 after a brief illness. She was surrounded by her loving family. Joan was a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and friend to many. She was a long-time resident of Cambridge. 

Originally from Dover, NH, Joan attended Dover High School and spent her childhood summers with her family at their cottage in Alton Bay, NH. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston College.

Joan’s love of learning prompted her to move to New York City to further her education. She pursued an MPH (Master of Public Health) and an MBA (Master of Business Administration) at Columbia University, graduating with distinction.

Joan’s Upper West Side home was a joyous, welcoming place, always filled with family, friends, and her precious dogs. Several of her nieces and nephews lived with Joan and Adane while pursuing their education and spending fun-filled summers on the East Coast. Their home was a cornerstone of the family, where doors were always open to visitors and served as a gathering place, especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas, when they often hosted extended family.

During her time in New York City, she was a Managing Director at Citigroup before transitioning to various roles at Standard & Poor’s. Her career focused on areas such as commercial lending and municipal bond finance, and she served as the head of the healthcare and higher education unit at Standard & Poor’s bond rating agency.

Looking to serve the community on a different level, Joan returned to the Boston area and spent 25 years working closely with both academic and community physicians and staff. She used her years of experience and wealth of knowledge in strategic planning and business development at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Passionate about dog training and rescue, Joan was a founding board member of Caring Canines Pet Therapy, which provided comfort and happiness to children fighting cancer. She adopted and fostered multiple rescue dogs, providing a loving and safe home for neglected and abused animals. She was an avid gardener and created a peaceful oasis that was her favorite place to catch up with family and friends. She loved art and antiques—a passion she inherited from her mother—and spent many happy hours hunting for treasures to sell in her booth at the Cambridge Antiques Market.

A resident of Mid-Cambridge for almost 27 years, Joan was a committed community leader. She was an active member and past president of the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association and served as chairman of Cambridge Streets for All. She volunteered for the Charles River Conservancy as board chair and finance committee chair. In her retirement, Joan was elected as a Cambridge City Councilor and began her service in that role in January 2024.

To all who voted and supported Joan we share your grief and cherish your support. 

The Committee to Elect Joan Pickett

You can e-mail erika1923@yahoo.com with comments or questions.