Joan Hartford Nickerson, 76, of Ashland, MA died suddenly on March 9, 2006, at the MetroWest Hospital in Natick. She was the wife of Elliott D. Nickerson who died in 1998. They were married for 48 years and lived in Natick for 45 years. Born in Lowell, she was the daughter of the late Paul H. and Luella (Osterman) Hartford. Mrs. Nickerson graduated from Northfield School in 1947 and New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in 1950. Following graduation and receiving her R.N., she was employed at the New England Deaconess Hospital for many years. She is survived by three children; Paula Nickerson Plock and her husband Ronald of Stamford, VT; Robert E. Nickerson and his wife Barbara of Fort Worth, TX; and Joanne Nickerson Sears of Mashpee; three grandchildren, Christie, Amy, and Jeremey Sears. She is also survived by her sister, Carol H. Saylor, and niece Anne Yelle both of Enfield, CT, and brother-in-law Merle V. Nickerson of Harwich Port. Joan was an enthusiastic gardener, wonderful cook, excellent seamstress, and avid knitter. She was very supportive of her children and grandchildren who loved her dearly. Memorial services will he held on Sunday, March 19, 2006, at noon in the Chapel of the Matarese Funeral Home located at 325 Main Street, in Ashland (www.mataresefuneral.com). In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association, Metro West, 20 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701; or the Endrocrinology Department of the Brigham and Women's Hospital c/o Gordon Williams, MD, 221 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA, 02115.