Joan Marie (Maslak) Mitromaras

Joan excelled throughout a lifelong career as a Technical Publications editor, writer, and manager. Early in her career, she worked with NASA contractors in Houston, including Lockheed and CSC, before continuing her work with AMD in Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California. She later joined Xilinx in California and eventually returned to Austin with the company. Among her many professional accomplishments, Joan contributed to the Skylab program in 1975, worked on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1980, and later participated in a classified missile project—an indication of the trust placed in her expertise within the field of Technical Publications.

Her skills were in high demand, and she was widely regarded as both highly productive and deeply respected by her colleagues. A strong academic foundation set the stage for her achievements; she was a member of the National Honor Society while attending high school in Amsterdam, New York. This early recognition foreshadowed a career marked by numerous honors, including membership in the National Management Association—where she received the NMA Service Achievement Award and was named Member of the Month during the 1970s.

Her academic achievements included membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, recognition in Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges, and leadership as President of the French Club—distinctions she earned in 1968 when she completed her Associate of Arts at San Jacinto Junior College. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1972 while working full time.

Beyond her many professional and academic accomplishments, she ran businesses, worked as a real estate broker, and pursued her dream of flying—successfully completing a solo flight—before putting that dream on hold to care for her son. She was known throughout her life for generously helping family members and friends whenever she could.

She is survived by her loving daughters, Audrey Langol and Dawn Velo; son-in-law Scott Velo; great-grandchildren Kaiden and Kinsey Scaillet; and sisters Betty Sargent and Sandra Merrihew, along with their families. She has reunited in peace with her late son, Marc Alan Scaillet, and her grandson, Ryan James Scaillet, who both passed too soon.

A Veteran’s memorial and flag-folding ceremony (family only, per Joan’s wishes) will be held at Cooke Walden Funeral Home / Forest Oaks on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Joan proudly served in the United States Air Force as a young woman, traveling overseas as a USAF flight attendant—an experience she valued deeply.