Joan C. Voight

Joan Carol (Frey) Voight, a truly extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home at The Colony, Hartsdale, on June 19, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on October 20, 1940, in Crestwood, NY, Joan's life was filled with love, friendship, and fun.
Joan was the daughter of Ethel and Frank Frey Jr., little sister of Robert (Bob) Frey, and granddaughter of Julia ("Nana") Beyerman. She leaves behind her husband, James Wesley Voight (aka Chip Taylor); her brother Bob; her son Kristian and his wife Anna; her daughter Kelly and her husband Frank; and her grandchildren Riley, Kate, Sam, Jack, and Ben.
In her early years, Joan could often be found at the Leewood Golf Club pool, where she excelled in backstroke and synchronized swimming. It was there that she caught the eye and won the heart of budding singer-songwriter Wes Voight. At 16, Wes sealed their young love with his first record, "Little Joan." Joan attended Good Counsel High School and Marymount College and, for a brief time, taught in elementary school.
Joan and Wes married in 1964 and welcomed two children, Kristian and Kelly. Their union also gave Joan a best friend in her character of a mother-in-law, Barbara Voight. Joan and Wes initially lived in Dalewood Gardens, where they befriended their next-door neighbor Joan Seifer, who became family when she married Joan's brother Bob.
They moved to The Colony in Hartsdale in 1967, and Joan never left. At The Colony their circle of friends expanded to include many families including the Knoblocks, Salamons, Dickers, Gordons, Sewaks, and Marshes, who bonded during music appreciation nights, Wednesday night gourmet dinners, and endless hours spent "chirping". A unique connection formed between the Voight and Knoblock families, self-dubbed the "Knoights," resulting in years of memories filled with travel, sports, picnics, Knoight parties, and laughter.
In 1974, Joan and two of her dear friends Debbie Dicker and Jackie Reckseit opened The Village Goldsmith jewelry store in Scarsdale. For an impressive 40 years, the jewelry store served as their place of business and a sanctuary of friendship and community. Joan's iconic flair made her a natural model and salesperson for their jewelry.
Joan was gorgeous and known for her stunning blue eyes, radiant smile, distinctive deep voice, and impeccable style. Her fashion sense was effortless with her high heels, cowboy boots, trendy jeans, and big sunglasses. Her granddaughters often went 'shopping' in her closet when visiting The Colony. While Joan loved accumulating fashion finds, she was also frugal. She loved a good coupon, enjoyed the free samples at Costco, and was an expert at finding bargains at Marshalls. Joan's life was full of fun, and she found herself on some outrageous adventures like race car driving, camel riding, and hot air ballooning. Many people counted Joan as their best friend. She always put others first, went out of her way to make sure everyone was comfortable and cared for, and was an incredible listener.
Joan had deep faith. She attended Sacred Heart church every Sunday and often invoked St. Anthony's help to find lost items. Her Christmas Day open house was a not-to-be-missed annual tradition where old and new friends basked in the warmth of Joan's energy and smile while eating her incredible spread of food. She also worshipped the sun, enjoying many days at The Colony pool and the beach.
As a mother and grandmother, Joan ("Mema") was an enthusiastic cheerleader full of positive vibes. One of her favorite days was spent watching Kristian and Kelly each pitch for their Woodlands High School teams at the same time. After Kristian moved to California, she loved lounging on his perch and taking grandsons Jack and Ben to the skate park. She chatted with Kelly daily, getting updates on her granddaughters and sharing Colony gossip. She spoiled everyone in her life and her grandkids the most, often clearing out their entire Christmas lists when instructed to only buy a couple of the requested items. Mema never missed a sporting event, concert, birthday, or prom, always arriving with a big bouquet of balloons. On Halloween, she showed up in costume to surprise (and sometimes terrify) her grandkids. She could often be found huddled in close with a grandchild, giggling at a shared moment only they understood.
Joan's love story with Wes was extraordinary and beautifully reflected in the many songs he's written about her over the years. And it was not typical. They met as kids, married in their 20s, and then spent several decades apart, although always connected. In 2008, after Joan had a health scare, they realized what they always knew – they were soulmates. Cheered on by their children and grandchildren, they remarried at The Little Church of the West on the Las Vegas strip. The story of their love would be incomplete without also mentioning music and golf. Although Joan wasn't particularly talented at either, Wes is, and Joan was there every step of the way. She was his right hand at his performances and his number one fan. When not making music, they loved going to the driving range with the family, watching Kristian and son-in-law Frank in their annual golf tournament, cooking breakfast and late-night snack concoctions together, and spending Sunday afternoons watching their favorite golfers on TV.
Joan will be deeply missed and forever remembered. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Make-A-Wish in Joan's memory. After funeral services at Sacred Heart Church in Hartsdale, you are invited to join family in celebrating Joan's life at one of her favorite restaurants, Anasa Greek Kitchen in White Plains, from around 12:30pm-2:30pm.