Joan Lodema Carlton

Joan Lodema Carlton, 82, of Kansas City, MO passed away with amazing grace on November 24, 2017. A memorial service will be held at 4:00pm on Friday, December 1 at McGilley & Hoge Chapel, 8024 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS 66204 with visitation beginning at 3:30pm.

Joan was born on August 9, 1935 in Washington, DC. Daughter of an Army Air Corps captain, she grew up on military bases along the East Coast. From 1953 to 1961, she was a member of the Medical Mission Sisters religious community, based in Philadelphia. She left the order to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology at Marymount College in Salina, KS and later earned a Master’s Degree in Theology at Hartford Seminary.

From 1968 until 2007, she taught and ultimately headed the Religion Department at Bishop Miege High School. Over those 39 years, she introduced students to philosophy, world religions and art history. She encouraged her students to be ever-inquisitive, and challenged them to formulate their own opinions and find their own paths. She co-coached men’s and women’s tennis, and helped earn the school multiple state championships. The Miege community was the source of many lifelong friendships.

Joan was a liberal feminist, an active member of Call-to-Action, and a devout viewer of MSNBC (in particular, The Rachel Maddow Show.) She loved folk music, opera, and musical theatre. She had a passion for nature and animals—birds, cats and all manners of suburban wildlife flocked to the Carlton residence deck for sustenance and her company. Her passion for world travel had her visit cold-war era Soviet Union, dog sled in Alaska, cruise the Amazon, track wildlife in Africa, and commune with giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos Islands, joined by her fellow intrepid traveler and close friend, Cathie Sullivan. We often joked that Joan had jet fuel, rather than blood, in her veins. She visited almost every major capitol city in the world, but of all places, she loved New York City the most, and she was at her happiest seated in a Broadway theatre.

Joan is preceded in death by her parents, Victor and Rose Donnelly; her brother and sister-in-law, Martin and Maureen Donnelly, and many beloved pets. She is survived by her husband, Don, and their three children: Brendan (Shannon), Joel (Jazmin Gorsline), and Rachel; nephews, Sean (Dyenine) and Bryan (Kim); plus two Maine Coon cats, Murray and Shiva. She was also “Nana” to the children of dear friends, Jon and Jennifer Zindel—Carolynn (Alex), Ellie, Ian and Lydia Joan.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial contributions to Friends of Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 East Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132, or to any charity that preserves nature or protects animals, birds, or any wildlife.

Condolences may be left online at www.mcgilleyhoge.com.