Joan Wicks

Joan Wicks
1934 – 2002

Joan was born in Decorah, Iowa. After receiving her degree from the University of Iowa, she taught elementary school in Iowa and California before going overseas in 1960. Her assignments with dependents’ schools included Okinawa, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Virginia. While overseas she earned her M.A. from Michigan State. After her retirement in 1991, she discovered she missed working with children, living overseas and traveling. She went back to school, earned her certification in early childhood special education and went back overseas, though she was diagnosed with cancer and was treated several times over the past nine years. Joan is remembered for her determination, her loyalty to her many friends, her love of the young children she taught, her enthusiastic participation in the arts and cultural activities of the countries where she lived and her active interest in gourmet cooking and home decoration. Joan passed away after her long battle with cancer on May 16, 2002.