Joan Hewett

May 3, 1929 - October 10, 2022 Joan Hewett, beloved children's book author, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on October 10 at the age of 93.
Born and raised in New York City, Joan cherished memories of living in Greenwich Village as a young woman. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s and worked as a publicist for CBS, before marrying the photojournalist Richard (Dick) R. Hewett.
Joan and Dick enjoyed their life together in the hills of Eagle Rock. They collaborated on a range of projects, including children's books.
In 1987 Joan won a Blue Bonnet award for When You Fight the Tiger, a book that traces Tana Helfer's development as a stunt person and animal trainer. Many of Joan's books focused on LA stories including On Camera: The Story of a Child Actor; Tunnels, Tracks and Trains (building the LA subway); Getting Elected: The Diary of a Campaign (Gloria Molina's campaign, becoming the first Latina in the CA Assembly); Public Defender: Lawyer for the People (profiling LA County PD Janice Fukai); and Hector Lives in the United States Now (Mexican immigrant Hector Almaraz growing up in Eagle Rock). Her only work of fiction, Rosalie, was inspired by a much loved basset hound.
Joan was deeply political-she vowed not to die with Trump in the White House; she was also a great lover of the arts. Late in life, with her son's encouragement, she became a huge Dodger fan. Joan treasured her friends and family. She is survived by her two children, Angela and Chris; Chris's wife, Angela Gervasio; and three grandkids-Orson, Jesse, and Nathan.