Joan, born Joan Irene Haag on June 29, 1929, in Flushing Long Island, New York, passed away peacefully on December 10, 2020, in Fair Oaks, California at the age of 91.  Her life ended due to complications of Covid-19.  She was the 2nd of 5 children of Irene Ingeborg (Matson) and Theodore Thomas Haag.

Joan was the loving sister of Theodore Haag, Jr., Georgia Harding, Barbara Vogt, and Ruthann Bryer; and loving mother to her children Caroline, Dana and Douglas.  She was a wonderful grandmother to Katherine, Derek, Richard, Skyler, Wade and Jacob.  She was “GG Joan” to Cali and Rylee.

Joan married the love of her life, Richard Joseph Osborn in Washington DC on January 30, 1960.  Sadly, Richard passed away June 1, 2000 of a heart attack at home.  They were married 40 years.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Richard, her parents and her siblings.  She was the last of her generation; one of “The Greatest Generation.”

She leaves behind her three children Caroline Bellinger Mozek (Greg) of Tukwila, WA, Dana Mazza-Youell (Matthew) of Roseville, CA and Douglas Osborn of Fair Oaks, CA.  Survived by six grandchildren and two great granddaughters.  Katherine Caruso (Christopher, Cali, Rylee), Derek Bellinger, Richard Mazza, Skyler Osborn, Wade Osborn and Jacob Youell.  She’s survived by nieces and nephews who loved her dearly, as well as distant relatives in Sweden.

Joan was born on Long Island, NY and when the Great Depression hit the family moved to Jamestown, NY, then Plainfield, NJ until her graduation from Plainfield HS in 1947.  Early violin lessons developed her love of music and song.  Joan played in the All State New Jersey Orchestra.  She continued her love of music playing in the American River College Orchestra and the Storkapellet (Swedish) Orchestra and the UU Instrumentals musical group in the Unitarian Universalist Society.

After graduation in 1947, she attended Hood College (’47-’49), earned her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Correction from George Washington University in 1951 and received her Master’s in Speech Pathology from Northwestern University in 1954.  It was at GW where she joined the Glee Club Troubadours and became a world traveler entertaining the troops.   She cherished her friendships from their times together and attended many reunions.

Her first “real” job out of Grad school was in Nashville, TN from (’54-’57) to work for the State Health Dept. as a speech consultant in segregated Black schools.  She later taught at Temple University and was working in the DC Health Department when she met Richard in Washington, DC at a Department of Women and Child Health Banquet to hear about “Transistors.”  She caught his eye and he drove around and found her the next weekend outside washing her ’57 white Plymouth Convertible with red and black upholstery which she was most proud of.  A date was made to go to a Glee Club party together, and the rest is history.  They married a year later and moved to Minnesota to work for the Veterans Administration where they had their two girls and when Richard got an opportunity to work in sunny California they moved West.  They settled in Sacramento and Doug was born.

Early on, Joan and Richard joined the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento (UUSS) in Sacramento and have been lifetime members.  Joan worked while raising her family including working for Easter Seals, in private practice and as a teacher and Clinic Supervisor at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.  Later she and Richard purchased Sutter Hospital’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center and expanded to other locations.  It was reopened as Sutter Hearing and Speech Center.  As co-owners they worked together and grew the business successfully and nearing retirement age, they were approached by Sutter Hospitals to buy it back from them in 1993.  It was meant to be.

Community service and public service were very important in Joan’s life.  A few of Joan’s other activities include advisory committees for the San Juan USD, League of Women Voters and Neighborhood Accountability Board.  She marched for Women’s Rights, the Mother’s March, participated with my dad in Take Back the Night and went door-to-door for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970’s.  She volunteered for the Democratic Party often canvassing neighborhoods and registering voters.  More recently she was a long standing member of the Sacramento Valley Sertoma Club where she held offices as Club Secretary and President.  Sertoma means Service to Mankind.  Its mission is to promote good hearing and speech and help people who have communicative disorders.  Our dad was a Charter member.  Joan was always a friend to those in need, was a protector and advocate of the vulnerable and cared deeply for social justice.

The hole in our hearts is large but her love for life, travel and music is her legacy.  Thanks to Brookdale Sterling Court for their loving care of Joan.  Because of concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no memorial service at this time.  A donation to PBS or Loaves and Fishes would honor her.