Mrs. Joan Hartness Grist McConnell, 71, widow of Roger Earl McConnell, died Saturday, April 14, 2018, at home in Summerville, SC, after a long battle with breast cancer.

Mrs. McConnell was born February 27, 1947 in York, SC, a daughter of Wilhelmina Richardson Grist of Summerville and the late James Davidson Grist, Jr.  Joan was a 1965 graduate of Kingstree High School.  She received her BSN degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Nursing in 1969.  In addition, Mrs. McConnell received her Physician’s Assistant-Medex from MUSC in 1974.  Mrs. McConnell’s Master of Arts degree was conferred upon her by South Carolina State University in 1996.

An animal lover, Joan always had multiple dogs and cats in her many homes, and horses outside in a stable.  She and her husband, Roger, as well as her daughter, Shari, spent countless hours on horseback together.

In addition to her husband and father, Mrs. McConnell was preceded in death by her much loved daughter, Shari Payne Kaple, of Summerville.

Survivors are:  her son, Timothy Craig Payne, Jr. (Amy), of Summerville; 3 grandchildren, Shyantra Capers of Kingstree, Miya Payne and Ayden Payne of Summerville and a sister, Michal Grist Grayson, of Sevierville, Tennessee.  She also leaves behind the father of her children, Timothy Craig Payne of Summerville and a special caregiver, Grace Biddiscombe of Ladson.

Memorial services will be held at 2PM Saturday, January 26, 2019 in Union Presbyterian Church, Salters, SC, with a burial in the church cemetery.