Joan Grant

1937 - 2014

Joan Grant

Bainbridge Island, WA - Joan Holloway Griffin Grant, passed away on July 27, 2014 at the age of 77, after a long courageous battle with cancer. She was born on July 23, 1937 to Dr. Jackson Kenneth and Martha Aldrich Holloway in Seattle. She joined an older brother and sister, Jonny and Martha, at the family home in the Washington Park area.

She left home in 1955 to attend Smith College in North Hampton, MA; spending her junior year abroad in Geneva, Switzerland. She graduated from Smith with a Bachelor's Degree in History. That summer Joan returned to France where she worked in a Paris Youth Hostel as a desk clerk. Starting in the fall of 1959 she attended at the University of Washington graduating with a secondary teaching certificate, later completing the K-12 certification with an internship through Seattle Pacific University. In December of 1980 she graduated with her Master's Degree through Central Washington University. Her first years of teaching were with the Shoreline School District where she taught French and Social Studies. She later taught in the North Kitsap School District where most years she participated in their innovative Special Education Program as a Resource Room lead teacher; she also taught first grade.

She and husband Bob had several wonderful boats and a beautiful home in Port Madison, Bainbridge Island. Traveling extensively, two of their most memorable trips were on the French Canals and to Chile.

Her hobbies and interests included belonging to orthopedic guilds (Helen Morrison in Seattle, and Lenore Ostrander on Bainbridge Island), as well as the Delta Kappa Gamma professional society. She also spoke French and belonged to French groups on Bainbridge Island. Joan enjoyed many years of singing with various groups including BB chorale. She was on the founding board for the Hyla School on Bainbridge Island and was a board member of the Fragile X Association of Washington. Her volunteering pursuits included, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bloedel Gardens, Suquamish United Church of Christ, the Chorale board and various other arts and crafts groups.

But most of all she loved her six children and nine precious grandchildren; she was known as Mimi to most of her family. She enjoyed watching them grow up and excel in their various endeavors.

She is survived by her husband, Bob, at the family home on Bainbridge Island; her children and their spouses, Jay (Elizabeth) Griffin of Brier and Jon (Yolanda) Griffin of Duval; two daughters, Gaye (Eric) Shumaker of Spokane and Jill (Bill) Sundberg of Burien; step-children, Chris (Kelly) Grant of Juneau, AK and Barron Grant of Seattle; along with nine grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life for Joan will be held at the Suquamish United Congregational Church on Saturday, August 23rd at 1:00 PM. Remembrances may be made to the Fragile X Research Foundation at http://www.fraxa.org/donate/.