Joan Elaine (McWilliams) Weiss

Joan Elaine McWilliams Weiss passed peacefully in her sleep on November 10, 2025 at the age of 91. Joan was a musician, artist, community activist, and beloved mother and grandmother. She is greatly missed.

Joan was born on August 9, 1934 to Florence and William McWilliams. She grew up as the second of four daughters, in a little town in Ohio called Upper Sandusky. Joan went to Ohio State University, where she studied education and art, and met her beloved husband, Stanley Weiss. After graduating with a degree in education, she became an art teacher, and then a kindergarten teacher. Later, Joan had two daughters, and was an active volunteer in the town of Somerset in Montgomery County, Maryland, her home of almost 50 years. She was very involved with Somerset Elementary School, where she shared her love of art by volunteering with students. Joan also contributed a lot of time to researching Somerset’s history and working on the town’s 75th and following anniversary celebrations.

Joan’s greatest passion was music. In high school and college, she loved playing the French horn in marching and concert bands. She also played the piano and always brought joy to others with her beautiful singing. Joan was proud of her Scottish heritage and, in midlife, led the Scots Gaelic folk group Mac-talla (meaning “echo”). While performing with Mac-talla throughout the DC metropolitan area, she learned and promoted the Gaelic language. Joan later visited native Gaelic speakers in Scotland and researched her Scottish ancestors. She learned to play a beautiful Celtic harp that she and Stanley built from a kit. Joan passed on her love of music to her daughter Rachel, and they volunteered together with harp and flute performances at senior centers.

Joan is survived by her daughters Juliet and Rachel, grandchildren Katie and Jonathan, sisters Rosemary and Sylvia, son-in-law Tim, and many nieces and nephews. Joan was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Stanley, and her sister Faith.

There will be a celebration of Joan’s life on January 3, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904.

Joan always wanted to help disadvantaged and mistreated people, especially Native Americans. In lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to First Nations Development Institute (www.firstnations.org), or the Capital Area Food Bank (www.capitalareafoodbank.org).