Joan passed away early Wednesday morning in Santa Monica at the age of ninety years, after a brief illness.
She was born October 4, 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio to James K. "Dutch" Kindelberger and his wife Thelma Kindelberger. At the time of Joan's birth, her father was employed as an aircraft draftsman at the Glenn L. Martin Company, working alongside another draftsman named Donald Douglas.
When Joan was three, Mr. Douglas moved to Santa Monica to start his own aircraft company, and was able to coax Dutch to move his family to Los Angeles in 1929 to take the position of Chief Engineer of Douglas Aircraft.
Joan, her parents, and younger brother Howard moved to Brentwood. In 1935, her father again changed jobs, this time to become President of North American Aviation. The job change required a brief move to Baltimore, but the family returned to California for good in 1937.
After graduating from Uni High, Joan attended Stanford University, but returned to Los Angeles after the death of her brother in a horseback riding accident in 1939. She enrolled at UCLA, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, graduating in 1941.
Shortly thereafter, Joan married Brynolv Biorkman, with whom she had two daughters, Karin and Toni. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1948, and in 1949, Joan was wedded to Ralph W. Graham, a union that would last until his death in 1986. Ralph adopted both girls, and Joan and Ralph had a son, Jim, in 1951. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's the Graham house in Bel Air was a wonderful, noisy slice of suburban life.
After the kids were out of the house, Joan and Ralph discovered golf, traveled extensively, entertained with vigor, and enjoyed a busy social life with great friends in West LA and Newport Beach. After Ralph's death, Joan continued to play golf, garden and paint, and after a few years, met Terry Holberton, with whom she shared an encore performance of traveling and enjoying life for another fourteen years until his death.
Joan spent her last, busy years at Wilshire Terrace and the LA Country Club, and was treated royally by the staff at both places, for which she was very appreciative.
Joan was tragically predeceased by her oldest daughter Karin just five weeks ago. She leaves her daughter Toni, son Jim (Jenene), grandchildren Chris Brandow (Maggie), Alexis Brandow, Tracey Anderson, James Graham, Jr. (Heather), Jeff Graham, and Hunter Graham.
Joan will always be fondly remembered for her beauty, taste, and powerful personality. She led a long, rich and full life, and made a hasty exit. We should all be so lucky.
A memorial service in her honor will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in Westwood.
Published in the Los Angeles Times from June 18 to June 19, 2011.
She was born October 4, 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio to James K. "Dutch" Kindelberger and his wife Thelma Kindelberger. At the time of Joan's birth, her father was employed as an aircraft draftsman at the Glenn L. Martin Company, working alongside another draftsman named Donald Douglas.
When Joan was three, Mr. Douglas moved to Santa Monica to start his own aircraft company, and was able to coax Dutch to move his family to Los Angeles in 1929 to take the position of Chief Engineer of Douglas Aircraft.
Joan, her parents, and younger brother Howard moved to Brentwood. In 1935, her father again changed jobs, this time to become President of North American Aviation. The job change required a brief move to Baltimore, but the family returned to California for good in 1937.
After graduating from Uni High, Joan attended Stanford University, but returned to Los Angeles after the death of her brother in a horseback riding accident in 1939. She enrolled at UCLA, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, graduating in 1941.
Shortly thereafter, Joan married Brynolv Biorkman, with whom she had two daughters, Karin and Toni. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1948, and in 1949, Joan was wedded to Ralph W. Graham, a union that would last until his death in 1986. Ralph adopted both girls, and Joan and Ralph had a son, Jim, in 1951. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's the Graham house in Bel Air was a wonderful, noisy slice of suburban life.
After the kids were out of the house, Joan and Ralph discovered golf, traveled extensively, entertained with vigor, and enjoyed a busy social life with great friends in West LA and Newport Beach. After Ralph's death, Joan continued to play golf, garden and paint, and after a few years, met Terry Holberton, with whom she shared an encore performance of traveling and enjoying life for another fourteen years until his death.
Joan spent her last, busy years at Wilshire Terrace and the LA Country Club, and was treated royally by the staff at both places, for which she was very appreciative.
Joan was tragically predeceased by her oldest daughter Karin just five weeks ago. She leaves her daughter Toni, son Jim (Jenene), grandchildren Chris Brandow (Maggie), Alexis Brandow, Tracey Anderson, James Graham, Jr. (Heather), Jeff Graham, and Hunter Graham.
Joan will always be fondly remembered for her beauty, taste, and powerful personality. She led a long, rich and full life, and made a hasty exit. We should all be so lucky.
A memorial service in her honor will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in Westwood.
Published in the Los Angeles Times from June 18 to June 19, 2011.
Joan passed away early Wednesday morning in Santa Monica at the age of ninety years, after a brief illness.
She was born October 4, 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio to James K. "Dutch" Kindelberger and his wife Thelma Kindelberger. At the time of Joan's birth, her father was employed as an aircraft draftsman at the Glenn L. Martin Company, working alongside another draftsman named Donald Douglas.
When Joan was three, Mr. Douglas moved to Santa Monica to start his own aircraft company, and was able to coax Dutch to move his family to Los Angeles in 1929 to take the position of Chief Engineer of Douglas Aircraft.
Joan, her parents, and younger brother Howard moved to Brentwood. In 1935, her father again changed jobs, this time to become President of North American Aviation. The job change required a brief move to Baltimore, but the family returned to California for good in 1937.
After graduating from Uni High, Joan attended Stanford University, but returned to Los Angeles after the death of her brother in a horseback riding accident in 1939. She enrolled at UCLA, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, graduating in 1941.
Shortly thereafter, Joan married Brynolv Biorkman, with whom she had two daughters, Karin and Toni. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1948, and in 1949, Joan was wedded to Ralph W. Graham, a union that would last until his death in 1986. Ralph adopted both girls, and Joan and Ralph had a son, Jim, in 1951. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's the Graham house in Bel Air was a wonderful, noisy slice of suburban life.
After the kids were out of the house, Joan and Ralph discovered golf, traveled extensively, entertained with vigor, and enjoyed a busy social life with great friends in West LA and Newport Beach. After Ralph's death, Joan continued to play golf, garden and paint, and after a few years, met Terry Holberton, with whom she shared an encore performance of traveling and enjoying life for another fourteen years until his death.
Joan spent her last, busy years at Wilshire Terrace and the LA Country Club, and was treated royally by the staff at both places, for which she was very appreciative.
Joan was tragically predeceased by her oldest daughter Karin just five weeks ago. She leaves her daughter Toni, son Jim (Jenene), grandchildren Chris Brandow (Maggie), Alexis Brandow, Tracey Anderson, James Graham, Jr. (Heather), Jeff Graham, and Hunter Graham.
Joan will always be fondly remembered for her beauty, taste, and powerful personality. She led a long, rich and full life, and made a hasty exit. We should all be so lucky.
A memorial service in her honor will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in Westwood.
Published in the Los Angeles Times from June 18 to June 19, 2011.
She was born October 4, 1920 in Cleveland, Ohio to James K. "Dutch" Kindelberger and his wife Thelma Kindelberger. At the time of Joan's birth, her father was employed as an aircraft draftsman at the Glenn L. Martin Company, working alongside another draftsman named Donald Douglas.
When Joan was three, Mr. Douglas moved to Santa Monica to start his own aircraft company, and was able to coax Dutch to move his family to Los Angeles in 1929 to take the position of Chief Engineer of Douglas Aircraft.
Joan, her parents, and younger brother Howard moved to Brentwood. In 1935, her father again changed jobs, this time to become President of North American Aviation. The job change required a brief move to Baltimore, but the family returned to California for good in 1937.
After graduating from Uni High, Joan attended Stanford University, but returned to Los Angeles after the death of her brother in a horseback riding accident in 1939. She enrolled at UCLA, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, graduating in 1941.
Shortly thereafter, Joan married Brynolv Biorkman, with whom she had two daughters, Karin and Toni. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1948, and in 1949, Joan was wedded to Ralph W. Graham, a union that would last until his death in 1986. Ralph adopted both girls, and Joan and Ralph had a son, Jim, in 1951. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's the Graham house in Bel Air was a wonderful, noisy slice of suburban life.
After the kids were out of the house, Joan and Ralph discovered golf, traveled extensively, entertained with vigor, and enjoyed a busy social life with great friends in West LA and Newport Beach. After Ralph's death, Joan continued to play golf, garden and paint, and after a few years, met Terry Holberton, with whom she shared an encore performance of traveling and enjoying life for another fourteen years until his death.
Joan spent her last, busy years at Wilshire Terrace and the LA Country Club, and was treated royally by the staff at both places, for which she was very appreciative.
Joan was tragically predeceased by her oldest daughter Karin just five weeks ago. She leaves her daughter Toni, son Jim (Jenene), grandchildren Chris Brandow (Maggie), Alexis Brandow, Tracey Anderson, James Graham, Jr. (Heather), Jeff Graham, and Hunter Graham.
Joan will always be fondly remembered for her beauty, taste, and powerful personality. She led a long, rich and full life, and made a hasty exit. We should all be so lucky.
A memorial service in her honor will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2011 at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in Westwood.
Published in the Los Angeles Times from June 18 to June 19, 2011.
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