Joan Carpenter

Carpenter, Joan I. passed away November 16, 2023 at the age of 84.  She was born June 29, 1939 in Wayne, Michigan to the late William and Alice (Beauchamp) Newington.  Joan was the beloved wife of the late Hugh and is the loving fiancé of Karl Schipper.  She is the beloved mother of Betty (Robert) Kurc and Tim (Michele) Carpenter dear grandmother of Cindy (Carl) Jarema, Sharon (Max) McDonald and Jackie (fiancé James Bollman) Kurc, Rose (Nick) Brooks, Grace (Ryan Davis) Carpenter and great grandmother of Henry Jarema, Caleb Jarema and Daela Brooks.  She is also survived by her sisters Patricia (Jim) Morris, her twin sister Janet (the late Bill) Merrill and Debbie (Ed) Applebee.  She is also the aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Joan was a longtime bank executive having worked at Michigan National Bank and Bank of America among others.  She proudly worked her way up from teller at Livonia National Bank to Vice President at Bank of America from which she retired in 1998.  Joan was proudest of being a great Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma.

Joan loved genealogy and loved to travel.  She had been on many cruises and when in a new place she would enjoy learning it’s history.  She enjoyed going up north to the family cottage on Houghton Lake where many wonderful days were spent with family and friends and especially watching the beautiful sunsets.  Joan had many great experiences, some of which took her out of her comfort zone, such as whitewater rafting, flying in a bush plane in Alaska and flying in a hot air balloon in Arizona.  Joan also enjoyed drawing and painting and was quite good at it.  Most of all she loved spending time with her family.  She is deeply loved and will be sorely missed by many.

A Funeral Service will take place Tuesday, 10:30AM at St. Edith Catholic Church, 15089 Newburgh Rd., Livonia.  Visitation will take place Monday 1PM until 8PM at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 S. Main St., Plymouth and Tuesday at church beginning at 10AM.  There will be a Scripture Service Monday  7PM at the funeral home. Joan will be laid to rest in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery next to her beloved Hugh.

Anyone wishing to honor Joan’s memory may consider a Memorial Donation to the American Heart Association.