Joyce Hakansson

1940 - 2016

Joyce Beth Hakansson

Joyce Beth Hakansson passed away at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley on November 25 surrounded by family and friends, with her progressive FSH muscular dystrophy the cause of respiratory failure at age 76. She grew up in Queens New York where her father was an immigrant from Ukraine and a physician. When she was eight the family moved to Santa Monica. She attended UCLA where she joined a sorority and worked part-time in the Library, graduating at age 20 with a BA in History and a minor in Physical Education. At UCLA she also earned a Secondary Teaching Credential and met her future husband Nils Hakansson. For a time she taught at the VA Hospital in West Los Angeles in a program for veterans seeking to earn a high school diploma. In the late 70s, as Director of the Computer Education Project at the Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley, she convinced (a barefoot) Steve Jobs to donate 10 Apple IIs which were then taken around to schools in an Apple Van for kids to try their hands on. In 1979 Joyce was hired by Children's Television Workshop to develop, on short notice, the Computer Gallery at the soon to be opened Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. Working with both the artistic folks in New York and the engineers and Steve Jobs in the Bay Area required numerous commutes. After Sesame Place opened, Joyce returned to California where she started a company to develop fun educational software for children, including products for companies like Texas Instruments, Sony Japan, and Hasbro. Several programs were translated into foreign languages and some were used in the Swedish pre-schools. Her company also produced the interactive exhibit at the Hubert Humphrey Museum at the University of Minnesota and a music program with the Juilliard School. Joyce was invited to speak at universities around the country, from Harvard to Stanford, was a keynote speaker in Australia, and served on a panel in Cannes, France. She testified on intellectual property before Congress, gave talks at the Department of Education, and even met President Clinton in the White House.
Forced by her muscular dystrophy to rely on a scooter beginning in 1986 and on an electric wheelchair in 1999, Joyce nevertheless continued as CEO and Creative Director until the mid-nineties, retaining the innovative spirit and positive and engaging outlook on life's opportunities for which she had become known, never giving up and remaining as creatively active as physically possible, including co-chairing FSH Society fund-raising events, until the end. She is survived by her husband Nils, daughter Carolyn Hakansson Johnston, son-in-law Bill Johnston, son Nils Alexander, and granddaughter Alexandra Johnston. A memorial event is planned for January 7. Any donations should be directed to the FSH Society https://www.fshsociety.org.