Joan Robinson died on June 16, 2023 — on her own terms thanks to Act 39 — with her spouse, Suzi Wizowaty, next to her.
Joan was a wonderful human being with a huge heart. She was warm and nonjudgmental and funny. She loved her family, her friends and her pets, and she had especially meaningful visits with family and friends in her last few weeks.
Joan was a master teacher who devoted much of her life to working with children and adults — especially classroom teachers — on using the arts, and especially drama, to make learning more interesting and fun, whether the subject was science or literature or something in between. She loved kids and knew how to talk with them whether they were five or 15. After Trinity University (San Antonio), two years as a first- and second-grade teacher on Long Island and a master’s degree from Rutgers, Joan balanced part-time gigs as an actor and teaching artist at New Jersey’s Creative Theatre Unlimited and as a storyteller at Princeton Public Library.
Joan met Suzi in 1979, and in 1985 they moved to Burlington, and Joan commuted for nine years to work as the children’s librarian at the Ilsley Library in Middlebury, where she organized a Haunted Library on Halloween and other wild projects. In 1992, she won the Vermont Library Association’s Sarah C. Hagar Award—for basically the coolest librarian. One summer she took off to tour over 200 Vermont libraries as Ms. Frizzle, taking kids on Magic School Bus rides (in her marvelous hand-painted costume).
Joan left the Ilsley to lead the Flynn Center’s education department for 18 years, curating student matinees, helping create FlynnArts, working with teachers in schools, and developing Words Come Alive! She loved acting out historical scenarios with kids and used to tell great stories about the History Comes Alive! camps she led in the summer at the Shelburne and Rokeby Museums and elsewhere. After she retired from the Flynn, she was recruited to serve as drama coach (which she did for five years) at the newly created Integrated Arts Academy at Wheeler School, which she had helped bring into being.
Meanwhile, around the edges for many years, Joan taught in the graduate department of education at St. Michael’s—courses like “Storytelling” and “Drama as a Teaching Tool.” She told stories professionally with Abi Sessions as “Abi and Joan” at Burlington’s First Night and around the state. She loved—preferred—working collaboratively, and she co-created two plays with her good friend Robin Fawcett: Remember Me to All Good Folks, from original sources about Vermonters’ experiences in the Civil War, and Bigger Than All of Us, about Vermonters’ formative arts experiences. Both were performed locally to much acclaim.
As if that weren’t enough, Joan was also a gifted cartoonist. In her younger days she painted clothing, from bridesmaids’ dresses (not fun) and T-shirts to murals — and once a highway billboard. In New Jersey, she did weekly editorial cartoons for several papers in the Princeton Packet chain. She always preferred making individualized cards for friends and family, but in the ’90s she explored having a card company, which friends had been urging her to do for decades. She hated the whole process, but she did create a delightful line of gardening cards which are now available to the public — thirty years later — through the Wake Robin gift shop.
Joan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017-2018. She managed it well for four or five years before declining over the past six months, with diminishing quality of life. But she loved living at Wake Robin, where she and Suzi moved in 2020, and up until the past few months, she took advantage of the community in multiple ways: resident rep for her floor, greenroom back-up, gardener, beginner silversmith, organizer of The Shadow radio play, co-leader of Flip the Script and more. The love and support from this community has been immeasurable.
In addition to Suzi, her partner of 44 years, Joan leaves behind two brothers, Jim (Linda) and Bill Robinson (Syrena); sister-in-law Gigi Wizowaty (Charlie Clements); nieces and nephews Joey Robinson (Lena) and Annie Robinson (Seth Cantey) and Jesse Clements and Eric Clements; as well as surrogate children Ben Cadwallader, Rachel Cadwallader-Staub, Nora Atwood (and their spouses) and Sam Douglas; as well as many wonderful friends, both old and new.
If donations are your tradition, Joan asks that donations in her memory be made to the Flynn Center Education Department. Friends are invited to attend a memorial event at Elley-Long Music Center at 2 p.m., Saturday, July 22.
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2023.
Few gave more to this community than Joan, or impacted more young hearts and minds. Her warm, inspired, kind nurturing was not reserved just for children though; She offered it generously as a leader and mentor to anyone who wanted to learn from her: colleagues, teachers, artists, interns, friends, etc. Joan’s generosity of spirit was boundless, as was her powerful & positive belief in everyone’s potential to grow. There will be wildly beautiful creative blooms for generations to come because of the seeds she planted in so many of us, and the lessons we will pass on to those in our care. Thank you Joan, for shining your effervescent light on this community, and for showing us how to help others shine even brighter. ❤️
What an incredible woman! I took classes with Joan and she visited my classroom. We also collaborated on a little educational project. She was creative, humble, warm, funny, talented, energetic, delightful, charismatic and always engaging. She could create a dramatic story line out of the most mundane and everyday situations. Her voice and laughter resonate in my mind and heart. Thank you, Joan, for all you gave to so many of us.
What a brilliant life! Full of love and laughter. Always framed in kindness and a strong moral purpose. You will be hugely missed. Rest in Peace my friend. Amy D
Joan was always wonderful for the matinees at the Flynn with her colorful outfits and enthusiasm!
I remember so many wonderful things about Joan. She was always positive and full of life, giving her all to everything she did. One of my favorite memories is the going away skit she wrote when Susanna (I think it was Susanna) left the Flynn. And I can’t count how many times she won the best Halloween costume. One year she came as the ghost light. Hilarious indeed. This all comes as a shock to me as I didn’t know she was ill. Suzy, I don’t know you well but that doesn’t limit the amount of love and healing energy I send you.
Joan helped me be a better librarian by bringing drama to sharing books with children. I remember a child asking, Oh you’re just reading the story today? Thank you Joan for helping me discover the inner actor.
C.C.
Joan was a pendulum swinger and a gift to every community she was a part of. She leaves a lasting legacy on the Vermont Arts scene and a great story to share for all who knew her.