Joan Vernon, 72; Weston selectwoman always got things done

When the Blizzard of 1978 brought the state to a standstill, Weston Selectwoman Joan (Burst) Vernon swung into action. In her characteristically "get-it-done" manner, she persuaded the local supermarket to stay open and recruited friends and family who had four-wheel-drive vehicles to make deliveries to snowbound residents.

"Joan called me to see if the statute we had passed authorizing blizzard expenditures beyond our appropriations limit would extend to taking over the market. And it did," recalled Weston Selectman Harold Hestnes, an attorney who was also on the board then. "Then she just physically moved in and ran the store."

For two days, Hestnes said, he and Mrs. Vernon's husband were among the group who helped make deliveries. "The store management was cooperative and stood around in amazement," he said.

This week, flags at all Weston town buildings are at half-staff to pay tribute to Mrs. Vernon's service to the community for more than three decades. Mrs. Vernon, the chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, died Sunday in Newton-Wellesley Hospital. She was 72.

"To the extent that Weston could have a town mother, Joan was it," said Ann Leibowitz, a former selectwoman. "She loved the town and was personally dedicated to town government and to strong citizenship participation. She was smart, reliable, and energetic. She said what she meant and meant what she said."

Mrs. Vernon and her husband, Dr. James K. Vernon, a surgeon for 35 years at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, have lived in Weston for 36 years.

Mrs. Vernon was twice elected to the Board of Selectmen, the second time in March 2003. "Communication is what makes government," she was once quoted in the Globe as saying. "You have to listen, and I strongly believe that's an important thing. I've always been open to people's opinions."

A registered nurse, she grew up in Verona, N.J., and graduated from Mountainside (N.J.) School of Nursing. She earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University. The Vernons, who were married 41 years, met while she was working as a nurse in Salt Lake City.

Mrs. Vernon's fondness for Weston started soon after they arrived there. Serving on the Finance Committee from 1972 to 1974, she was a bundle of energy. She was "a petite, slim woman who never walked slowly," Leibowitz said. "Occasionally, Joan walked with a skip. She did not stroll, unless she was playing golf. She had a wonderful sense of humor, which could sometimes be outrageous."

Her style of public service was set early on, colleagues said. "Joan knew how to get things done in no uncertain terms," Leibowitz said. "She was a born executive. She either encouraged you or bullied you, but it got done."

Mrs. Vernon was a student of government, Hestnes said. "She was a policy wonk. My motto was, 'When in doubt, let Joan do it,' and she did. She was the opposite of a political backslapper. She saw the issues and called them the way she wanted to and let the chips fall where they may. She was not just there to deliver good news."

Mrs. Vernon first served as selectwoman from 1974 to 1980. Leibowitz recalled her candor as a member of a committee choosing one of two candidates for a new police chief. One was a seasoned veteran, the other a younger, very attractive man, she said. To soften the blow to the younger one, Mrs. Vernon told him, "I know your mother must be very proud of you." It brought down the house, Leibowitz said.

Mrs. Vernon went on to serve on many local boards and commissions -- she chaired a panel in 1999 and 2000 that helped Weston adopt a town manager form of government. That, Leibowitz said, was what she was most proud of.

J. Ward Carter, Weston's executive secretary for 50 years and briefly the town administrator before retiring, said of Mrs. Vernon, "There was no member of the board [of Selectmen] more committed to making the town a better place to live."

But Mrs. Vernon's favorite role, friends said, was as wife, mother, and grandmother, one who was always willing to get down on the floor and play with her grandchildren. Christmas was her favorite season, they said. The Vernons' traditional Christmas parties were neighborhood favorites.

She worked to make life better outside of Weston, too, supporting many civic causes. She spent seven years tutoring and setting up a computer program for the Roxbury Alliance for Children and was an active volunteer with the Salvation Army.

"She was the person to have around in a moment of crisis. She held your hand while she navigated through it," said Mrs. Vernon's son, David, of Snohomish, Wash.

In addition to her husband and son, she leaves two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. in the First Parish Church in Weston.