Joan Howard Herman

Joan Howard Herman (a.k.a. Joan Goulder) passed away January 29, 2026, while a resident of Cobbdale Assisted Living in Fairfax, Virginia. She had been struggling with congestive heart failure, memory loss, and complications from a recent stroke. She was 93 years old at the time of her passing; one week shy of her 94th birthday. 

Joan was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1932. She was the eldest daughter of Marvin and Josephine Howard. She had a younger sister, Lois Howard (Leach/Bayne). During her youth, Joan attended from Grosse Pointe High School - currently known as 'Grosse Pointe South'. She also attended Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Her family attended Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Presbyterian).

In 1958 Joan married Robert Freeland Goulder, originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Together they settled in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, raising two children: a daughter (Catherine) and a son (Bob). Her husband worked for National Steel Corporation and Joan was a homemaker. Her hobbies included gardening, cooking, and collecting antiques. She was never happier than when playing with a dog - especially her beloved corgi (Shorty). 

In the mid-1980s her family relocated to Reston, Virginia. There, Joan enjoyed visiting the local museums in nearby Washington DC, and taking in concerts at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She and Robert traveled, occasionally, taking trips to Florida, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Joan's husband passed away in 1996, leaving her a widow for the next eight years. She remarried in 2004, forming a companionship with Edwin Herman of Springfield, Virginia. Edwin eventually passed away in 2013, leaving Joan widowed for a second time. In her final years she loved taking walks by the Potomac River and Roosevelt Island; she loved feeding the ducks. She is survived by her two children Catherine Smith and Bob Goulder; and two grandchildren Stephanie Jordan-Smith and Caroline Smith. She is warmly remembered by her caregiver Jenny Cardenas.