Joan Elizabeth Kindle

Joan Elizabeth Van Wicklen Kindle died at her home in Carlsbad, CA. on January 20th, 2026 at the age of 94. Joan was born on April 14, 1931 in Queens Village, New York, daughter of the late Ruth and William Van Wicklen. She is survived by her four children, Christine Sosebee (Jeff) of Temple, Georgia, Ellen Kendall (Michael) of Westerville, Ohio, Janice Payne (Paul) of San Diego, California, and Robert Kindle (Jane) of Ballwin, Missouri. She also has 3 Grandchildren: Joseph Kindle (Chelsea), Benjamin Kindle (Katie), and Sarah Wargel (Marcus) and a Great Granddaughter, Hannah Marie Kindle. A Great Grandson is on the way in July.

Joan grew up during the Great Depression and lost her father at an early age. Her mother had to go to work, so she was raised mostly by other relatives. These difficulties in her life made Joan a very strong and determined woman. She had dreams of going to college and having a career, unusual for a woman of those times. While working for US Steel in 1949, she met the love of her life, Alan Kindle, a sales rep for USSteel. When Alan found out he was being transferred to Chicago, he asked Joan to marry him and come along on his next adventure. She said yes and they were married in June of 1950. By 1958 she was caring for 4 young children while Alan traveled and could only be home on weekends. Joan was a talented crafter and sewed all her kids’ clothes. The life Joan and Alan started in Chicago eventually took them to homes in Pittsburgh, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Atlanta, GA. They sent all four children to college and saw them each get married and start lives of their own. In 1985, Joan told Alan it was time to enjoy their Golden Years together and find a new home with a lovely climate. She was tired of the snow, the heat, the insects and the pollen, she told him. The next thing the family knew, they had hopped a plane to San Diego and bought a house in Carlsbad. Joan had never been happier, and the next 40 years were the best time of her life, well worth all the difficult times.

Soon after settling in Carlsbad, Joan heard about a new road that was to be built behind their neighborhood, and the construction was going to result in the digging up of a famous horse’s grave. The horse was named Conquistador, and it was the beloved horse of the actor, Leo Carrillo, whose former Ranch was nearby. Joan’s “Community Service” heart came alive and she became determined to learn about this horse and save his burial spot. Her research led to an interest in Leo Carrillo’s Ranch, and eventually its restoration into the beautiful Park it is today. Joan and Alan created the “Friends of Carrillo Ranch,” a non-profit organization whose charter was to help raise money for the Ranch’s history education programs for school children, and to connect with Carlsbad City government to keep the Carrillo Ranch restoration a priority project. They met and loved working with Mick Calarco, the Parks & Recreation Manager of Carrillo Ranch. Joan spent many hours speaking in front of City Council meetings. She applied for many grants to raise money. She devoted years to looking for artifacts and reaching out to people who eventually donated some of Leo Carrillo’s family heirlooms back to the Ranch. She became a docent at the Park and held tours for visitors. If you visit Carrillo Ranch today, you will see a theatre on the property where Leo Carrillo’s old movies are shown. The City of Carlsbad named it the Kindle Theater after Joan and Alan. For years after the Park was renovated and opened to the public, all the way up to her last days, Joan continued to make craft items to sell at the Ranch’s gift shop to raise money for the school programs. When Alan died in 2012, Joan stayed on as a member of the Friends of Carrillo Ranch Board of Directors until her health declined.

During Joan’s years as a widow, with her family scattered, she relied on friends and neighbors for companionship and support. The family would like to thank the following people who helped make Joan’s life easier and gave us peace of mind as she aged: Best friends Mick Calarco and his wife Ruth who regularly checked on Joan and took her shopping and out to eat. Wonderful neighbors Alyson Gilmore, Vicki Jacobson, Lori Koehler and Marcelo Fuentes who were right there on her last days. Majka Penner and her team at Carrillo Ranch kept Joan connected to her passion for volunteer work. We also appreciate the help from Elizabeth Hospice.

An event to celebrate Joan’s life will be planned at a later date.