Joan Dwyer Gale, 84, of Ewing, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, at home, with her loving family by her side.

Born in West Rutland, VT, where she was educated, Joan was a resident of the area for the past 44 years.

She was employed by the New Jersey State Superior Court of Mercer County for 16 years as a secretary for Judge Theodore Tams and Judge Judith Yaskin, retiring in 1990. After retirement, she worked as a secretary for the law firm of Mullaly and Diefenbach of Pennington.

Joan was formerly a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Church in Trenton, where she served as an Eucharistic minister, and currently was a parishioner of Our Lady Of Good Counsel Church in West Trenton. Joan was also a volunteer for Mobile Meals of Trenton.

Daughter of the late Thomas and Mary Martin Dwyer, twin sister of the late Jean Dwyer Napolitano, sister of the late Margaret LaDuke, Betty Dwyer, Theresa Pratt, Rosemary Johnson, Mary Przybylo, Rodger D. and Thomas M. Dwyer, she is survived by her husband, P. Richardson Gale of Ewing; son, Robert R. Gale of Lawrenceville; daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Robert Kocis of Burlington Township; three grandchildren, Gale Szolomayer and her husband, Stephen, of Bensalem, PA, Kathryn and Elizabeth Kocis of Burlington Township, and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in West Trenton. The family will receive visitors on Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. until the time of the Mass at the church. Memorial contributions may be made in Joan's memory to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 137 W. Upper Ferry Rd., West Trenton, NJ 08628, or to St. Bridget's Church, 28 Church St., West Rutland, VT 05777.

Arrangements are by the M. William Murphy Funeral Home, 935 Parkway Ave. in Ewing.