Joan Mitchell

Joan Mitchell, age 82, passed away on 22 February 2025 at her home in Indian Land, South Carolina.

Funeral services will be held in May in State College, Pa. Burial will follow at Centre County Memorial Park. Arrangements are by Koch Funeral Home in State College.

Joan was born in Sharon, Pa. to Fayetta and James Dunlop on 25 July 1942. She moved with her family to State College in 1947 where she lived and went to school. Following graduation from Penn State University in 1964 she married Chuck Mitchell on 25 July 1964 in State College, Pa. Following a honeymoon in Bermuda, Joan and her husband settled in Northern Virginia where she worked as a music teacher in the Fairfax School System. She left her job in 1968 to start a family. She gave birth to Chad in 1970 and to Greg in 1974. Additionally, she was active in her college sorority alumni group, Alpha Phi, where she worked as a District Governor for several years, traveling around the country to meet up with active members of the sorority. Perhaps, her most satisfying work and of which she was extremely proud was as a volunteer worker at Fair Oaks Hospital for many years.

In her later years, Joan became a bit of a fantasy football savant, maintaining binders of players and their stats and participating in a fantasy football league. She was quite proud to win her league on multiple occasions and recently purchased a Michael Kors handbag with her winnings.

In her free time she enjoyed playing social bridge, pursued a number of arts and crafts projects, and loved to cook and eat in, and loved hosting parties. She was active in her children’s school PTA and helped to coach her older son in soccer. 

Joan is survived by her husband of 60 years, Chuck, her two sons, Chad (spouse Laura) and Greg (spouse Hallie), and four grandchildren, Kahley, Samantha, Chase, and Abigail. They were all together at the Greenbrier in West Virginia in July 2024 to help Joan celebrate her birthday and 60th wedding anniversary. 

Memorials may be given to Saint Jude.