Joan Thompson

1935 - 2024

Joan Beard Thompson

1935 -2024

South Jordan, UT - The honorable Joan Beard Thompson, retired federal administrative judge, died peacefully on Oct. 18, 2024. She was 89 years old.

Joan, the youngest of four children of Aaron and Edna Birch Beard, was born Oct. 4, 1935 in Bingham Canyon, Utah, a town that was consumed by the copper mine about the time Joan left for college. Joan's older siblings and their spouses have all passed leaving Joan to carry on the Beard family name. Joan was raised in Bingham Canyon with her parents, maternal grandmother and siblings, living in a two-bedroom apartment on top of a store across the street from the Bingham Mercantile where her father was a manager. Joan adored her older siblings and frequently talked about their accomplishments and children.

Joan was a voracious reader her entire life. She was gifted intellectually and excelled in school to the extent that she skipped two grades in elementary school allowing her to graduate from Bingham High School at the age of 16. She loved being an alumnus of Bingham and after returning to live in Utah, served on the Board of Directors of the Bingham Alumni Foundation.

Immediately after high school, Joan enrolled at the University of Utah with an academic scholarship. She had to misrepresent her age in order to obtain a job at the university library. She graduated with honors from the U and was immediately accepted to Stanford Law School. Joan was among several women who began Stanford law school but was only one of a few to graduate with a law degree. She passed the California bar and the Utah bar exam in 1952.

Joan was recognized as a female trailblazer in the legal profession both in Utah and nationally. She was the 40th woman admitted to the Utah state bar. There were no jobs for women in the legal profession in Utah at the time so she moved to Washington D.C. for a career with the government. Joan was one of the first women to be a U.S. federal administrative court judge first working for the Interior Department's Board of Land Appeals. As a judge, she traveled throughout the country dealing with various land issues. She was also an administrative judge for the U.S. Postal Service Board of Appeals dealing with personnel and other matters.

While in Washington D.C., Joan met Noel H. Thompson who was also a licensed attorney in private practice. They were married Sept. 8, 1960 in Salt Lake City in the LDS temple. The new couple returned to the D.C. area where they lived their entire marriage in the Chevy Chase and McLean, Virginia areas. They were never able to have children but Joan loved taking family visitors to the local museums and government buildings.

Joan and Noel were active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served in many teaching and other callings. They were blessed by many wonderful leaders including Bishop Garret W. Gong, now an apostle of the church. Elder Gong visited Joan several times while she lived at Legacy House. She had great admiration for him and his wife, Susan.

Joan loved to travel internationally with friends (Noel didn't like to travel). She visited China, Russia, Asia, South America, Mexico, Europe and many other places. She read much about each country and destination. She loved learning about local culture and traditions. She was often invited to provide Cultural Refinement lessons to Relief Society and other group meetings, teaching about her travel destinations. She also gathered a large collection of nesting dolls purchased in Russia, Europe and other countries. Joan also loved the mountains of Utah and spent several weeks each year at Snowbird and Park City.

Going to the ballet and opera were a favorite pastime. She could listen to recordings of various operas for hours and hours. She knew all the opera stars and saw them in person in the great opera houses on the east coast.

Joan was very witty and had a great sense of humor. She rarely missed the opportunity to make a well-timed quip during a conversation. She was always very interested in other's lives and activities. Even with her dementia in later life, she remembered details that were remarkable. The staff at Legacy House Cottages told us that whenever they needed a pick-me-up, they would go visit Joan and come out rewarded for the quick visit.

The family would especially like to thank Aspire Hospice for their kindness and attention the last several weeks.

There will be a family viewing on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 10:00 – 10:30 am at Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Chapel in South Jordan followed by a graveside service at the Hoytsville Cemetery, Hoytsville, Utah.