Joan Alexander Lorr

Joan alexander Lorr  
On April 21, 2016 Joan Alexander Lorr, 98, of Takoma Park, Maryland died surrounded by family and friends. Born on November 21, 1917, in Winnipeg, Alberta, Canada, she and her family moved to Chicago when she was five. She attended the University of Chicago, earning a degree in chemistry and was admitted to the Phi Betta Kappa Society. There she met and married Maurice Lorr in 1938, who became well known for his research in psychology, and to whom she was married for 60 years. They moved to Washington before World War II, and had two children, Michael and Nancy. Early on, Joan was involved in civil rights work, and also became an advocate for social and environmental reform. At the University of Maryland, when she was in her fifties, she earned a Phd in Psychology and a diplomate in neuropsychology. Though she started late, she had a full career at the Veterans'' Administration as a neuropsychologist. In retirement she studied plant biology and volunteered at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, mounting plants for their collection. She is survived by her daughter Nancy Lorr of Ithaca, New York; brother, Jim Alexander of La Jolla, California; grandchildren Nathan and Tommy Olson; and her great-granddaughter, Lucy. She will be especially missed by her partner of 14 years, Lorraine Sorrel; son-in-law Randy Olson; beloved nephews and nieces, and the many friends she made throughout her life. A memorial will be held on June 4 at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, 10309 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD.