Joan Marie Teer

Joan Marie Teer, 86, passed peacefully in the home of her daughter Sunday evening, August 30, 2020, in College Station, Texas. Joan was born January 6, 1934 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Myrtle Marie and Tillis Hubert Powell of Laurel, Mississippi who were public school educators and principal.

Joan attended high school in Laurel, and she played varsity tennis capturing state singles championships for two years, consecutively, before graduation. She was accepted to Mississippi State College for Women, affectionately known as the W located in Columbus, MS and was a member of the Tri-Delta Sorority. Upon graduation, Joan received a Bachelor of Science with teaching certifications in Science and P.E. While attending college, she met her life partner, James Garth Teer, of Granger, TX. At that time, Jim was teaching at Mississippi State University. After a brief courtship, he proposed on Valentine’s Day, and Joan and Jim were married upon her graduation in Laurel on March 26, 1955.

Joan followed Jim to Llano, Texas for his work with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Their son, James Warren Teer was born in Burnett, Texas. Soon after, Joan began teaching chemistry and biology at Llano High School. There were several subsequent moves made to further Jim’s career in order to complete his doctoral studies in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin and to secure his career in same field. While in Madison, their daughter, Jill Marie Teer, was born. Next, Joan and Jim accepted a position at the Patuxent Research Station in Laurel, Maryland before returning to Texas when Jim was offered a teaching position with Texas A&M University in College Station, TX in 1962. They remained there until 1978.

From 1968-70, Joan and family followed Jim to Pretoria, South Africa while Jim went on university sabbatical from the wildlife department at A&M to work, study, and guide the University of Pretoria’s newly formed wildlife department. Joan and family took numerous safaris through countries such as Kenya, Botswana, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Zambia, and South Africa.

During the years in College Station, Joan taught school and coached tennis at Bryan High School in Bryan, TX. She also taught at College Hills Elementary School coaching P.E. and at A&M Consolidated High School coaching the girls’ volleyball team.

Joan was the first woman to take an elected seat on the A&M Consolidated Independent School District’s School Board serving from 1971 – 1974.

In 1978, Joan and Jim moved to the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation near Corpus Christi, TX where Jim accepted the position as Director for 20 years. Joan returned to college to receive a Master of Arts degree from Corpus Christi State University. She became an accomplished and awarded artist for her oil and watercolor paintings as juried by the Art League of Corpus Christi. Many of her works include wildlife as seen and sketched in the wild on her travels with Jim internationally to Africa.

Joan was a member of the Women’s Club of Bryan/College Station. She and Jim attended First Baptist Church of College Station, and later became members of A&M United Methodist Church of College Station. She served as Regent for the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and was successful leading many projects and responsible for awarding two NSDAR Conservation Medals to both her husband, Dr. James Teer, for his contributions to Wildlife Ecology and to Dr. Bill Welch for his contributions to the field of Horticulture and newly-invented, cross-over rose species.

Joan died peacefully Sunday evening surrounded by her son and daughter with complications stemming from Alzheimer’s Disease. She is now with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to be sure, as she was a wonderful Christian role-model, daughter, wife, mother, and friend. She is survived by her son, James Warren Teer and his wife Tamela Teer, and two grandsons, Lucas Powell Teer and Justin Cooper Teer. Also, by her daughter, Jill Marie Teer-Epstein, her son-in-law Kenneth Robert Epstein, and their daughter Ann Marie Epstein.

She is preceded in death by her father, mother, husband, and brother, Jack Thomas Warren.

A Celebration of Joan’s life will be held on Saturday, October 17th, 2020. There will be a graveside service led by Rev. Preston Greenwaldt of A&M United Methodist Church, at College Station Cemetery from 10:00 to 11:45AM, followed by lunch at Thomas Park, College Station, TX from 12:00 to 2:00PM, permitted by City of College Station. Masks required.

Please visit the website at memorialfuneralchapel.com to sign the guest registry.