Joan Hoover

Daughter of Frank C. and Evelyn Dudman Williams, Joan Patricia was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 12, 1928. Upon her graduation from high school, she and her family moved to Southern California. After working at Bullocks Wilshire while attending Pasadena City College, Joan transferred to the University of California at Berkeley to study architecture. It was there, while residing at International House, that she met her future husband, Linn Hoover Jr. (1923–1985) of Baltimore, MD. They were married on January 30, 1953, at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Together they raised a son, Peter L. (born 1954), and a daughter, Hilary J. (1957–2000). The family moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, in 1958, and then to Chevy Chase in 1962.

Throughout her life, Joan was engaged in a wide variety of activities. She was a professional interior decorator and started the Eight Hands boutique at the Chevy Chase Farm Women’s Market. She ran the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) program and later led the DC Hospice Program. After her daughter Hilary was diagnosed with diabetes, Joan became a fearless champion for diabetics, involving herself in fundraising and serving on the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association. She was also sought after worldwide as a speaker on diabetes and its impact on patients, giving talks in Vienna, Sydney, and throughout the United States.

After the death of her husband, Joan continued his work at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, where she founded the Cosmos Club Associates—a group of widows of former members. The association grew to over 200 members and helped pave the way for greater acceptance of women at the Club. During this time, she also participated in the restoration of the Warne Ballroom, returning it to its 1915 Gilded Age grandeur. Additionally, she directed the Cosmos Club Travel Club, leading groups of up to thirty members on over twenty-five worldwide trips. Destinations included Africa, the Amazon, Europe, and Australia. In total, she visited thirty countries and forty-eight U.S. states.

She is survived by her son, Peter, of Mystic, CT; his wife, Michelle; their daughters, Sarah Hoover of CT, Rebecca Haga of CA, and Laura Kelley of CT; her great-grandsons, Owen Kelley and Makoto Haga; and her great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Kelley.

Interment will be at Rock Creek Cemetery.