Joan M. Warrick

She was the favorite teacher of countless students at North Central High School, where she taught English and Social Studies in Learning Unlimited, an innovative program that focused on individualized learning, community learning, and close student-teacher relationships. She served as the program’s Department Chair from 1994 to her retirement in 2005. Joan cherished the deep friendships she made with colleagues there.

The daughter of Dr. Albert Reese Matteson and Elizabeth Ann Dusenberry, Joan spent a happy girlhood in Danville, Illinois. In high school she was active in the drama club, winning roles in several productions, and had a blast dancing with the Pompettes at athletic events. She enjoyed working in her father’s office during the summer; her lifelong love of gardening came from helping him in their family garden.

Joan always knew she wanted to be a teacher and received a scholarship to study secondary education at Illinois State University. She spent her thirty-year teaching career at North Central High School, taking a year off to work with Junior Achievement.

Joan married Bill Warrick in 1987 and, together, they made a home blending Joan’s charming sense of style with Bill’s expertise in building and design. Joan loved reading on their front porch in the summer, decorating the house for Christmas, hosting special events for friends and family, and perfecting her backyard garden. She loved the cozy room Bill tailor-made for her, where she enjoyed sewing, reading and doing schoolwork. She loved their two Scottish Terriers Bert and Jinx.

An old farmhouse in Owen County, which she and Bill renovated, became a second home where they spent nearly every weekend away from the demands of their busy lives and rescued two very lucky dogs, Bear and Pete.

Joan was deeply devoted to her family. She loved her brothers Rob and Rich and Bill’s large, extended family, especially her nieces, nephews and the multitude of Warrick cousins.

An avid reader, Joan was always eager to share and talk about books with friends and enjoyed participating in a monthly book group with fellow NCHS retirees. After her retirement, she volunteered as a docent at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site and read extensively about that period in history to enrich her tours.

She was game for anything, from traveling throughout Europe with friends to hopping on the back of Bill’s motorcycle for a day in Brown County. She loved a good road trip, preferably to a Beach Boys soundtrack, and over the years accompanied students on learning “intensives” well beyond Indianapolis.

But she loved most coming home.

Joan had a wonderful laugh, the most elegant handwriting. She loved antiquing, touring gardens and historical sites, and sunning on the beach. She loved visits to Danville with a childhood friend, which always included ice cream at the Custard Cup, and gardening with a group of volunteers at the Riviera Club in the summer. She loved to try new recipes, often using home-grown herbs, and then share them with the gourmet dinner club to which she and Bill belonged. She worked part time at Tarkington Tweed for several years before she met Bill because she liked to stay busy and loved the discount. She kept a journal from the time she was a girl.

Joan Warrick led a rich, full, fortunate life and, as a teacher, changed lives one lesson, one student, one conversation at a time. Upon learning of her death, a former student wrote, “Joan was such an amazing light in so many of our lives.”

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Robert Matteson, and her husband Bill Warrick. She is survived by her brother Richard Matteson (Nancy Morrison), sister- and brother-in law Anne and Dick Cheger, seven nieces and nephews, and the many, many friends and former students who loved her dearly.

A memorial service will be held at the Rivera Club at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 12. (5640 North Illinois Street, Indianapolis Indiana.)

Donations may be made in Joan’s memory to Indy Reads.

https://giving.indyreads.org/give/171349#!/donation/checkout