Joan Powell Obituary

Joan Van Nostrand Powell
Joan Van Nostrand Powell died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, October 12th, in Far Hills, NJ. She was 88 and a longtime resident of Far Hills and Vero Beach, FL.
Joan was born in 1936, in Karuizawa, Japan. Her parents, Katherine Dalton Hitch and Joseph Delano Hitch, returned to the US in 1937. Joan was the middle of five children and was predeceased by her sister, Katherine Grant, and brother, Joseph Hitch. She is survived by her husband David Greatorex Powell, brothers Harry and Phillip Hitch and her three daughters, Katherine Wood, Clare Powell and Elizabeth Powell. She has three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Joan grew up in Westport, CT, graduated from Concord Academy and attended Skidmore College. In 1956 she married David Powell. David's Job at Esso/Exxon took them to Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, London and Madrid, before returning to the US in 1970, to settle in Stamford, Connecticut. In 1980, David took a job at Allied Signal/Honeywell, which moved them to NJ, first to a house in Bernardsville and then to Far Hills.
Joan was an avid gardener, spending hours sifting dirt, visiting nurseries, trying out all kinds of plants, herbs and vegetables. She even knew the Latin names for everything she grew. Her gardens were always admired, and her Bernardsville home was even included in the local Garden Club tours.
Joan also cared deeply about her volunteer work. She served as a founding member of The Friends of the Morristown Museum, was a member of the Morristown Medical Center's Women's Association, serving as President from 1999-2001. She was also a founding member of the much beloved Mansion in May.
Both Joan and David have been passionate about Geriatric Medicine and, to that end, made a donation to the Morristown Medical Center's Foundation to help create The David & Joan Powell Center for Healthy Aging. https://www.f4mmc.org
A Memorial Service will be held in May. In lieu of flowers, the Powell family would prefer a donation be made to The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, located at 310 South Street, 4th Floor, Morristown, NJ 07960, ATTN: David & Joan Powell Center for Healthy Aging. https://www.f4mmc.org