FOLEY (nee Wallace), Joan Cecilia
Joan was born June 11, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, to Arthur and Agnes Wallace. She is survived by her husband of 58 years Patrick J. Foley, sons Mike (Chris) and Dan (Kathleen), and six grandchildren: Claire (Jacob Bloch), Tom, Kevin, Matt, Margaret, and Ellen. Joan is also survived by her brothers Jim (Mary Ann) and John (Connie) (Vickie, deceased) and sisters-in-law Sr. Mary Louise Foley and Jean Kathleen. She is preceded in death by her parents, close friend, Jan Battes and niece Elizabeth Reagan.
Joan was raised in Detroit, Michigan, attending Mercy High School and Detroit Mercy College. She was an accomplished vocalist, singing with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians on WJR Radio. She had a lead role in a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. She moved to Dayton to become a testing administrator in the guidance department at the University of Dayton. Joan traveled to high schools from Michigan to Florida to connect potential students with the University of Dayton. She met Pat, and they were married in September of 1962 at Precious Blood Church.
Joan lived a life in service to others. In the late 1960's she volunteered at the Dakota Center in West Dayton, teaching sewing classes. She drove Mike and Dan to hundreds of their baseball, basketball, and soccer games, in a brown Ford Pinto station wagon that usually was crammed full of half (or all) of the entire team. This was before seatbelts were invented we think.
She was a board member of Catholic Social Services, where she helped start a childcare facility at Dayton's Veteran's Administration campus. She served as a volunteer on the Pastoral Care team at Good Samaritan Hospital with Pat, who said she had such long conversations with those who needed someone just to listen, that they ended up driving separately because he got tired of waiting. Joan volunteered at Precious Blood Catholic School and later joined the school staff as Bookkeeper and finance administrator. She later served as Executive Director of the Trotwood Chamber of Commerce.
Joan loved to ice skate when she was young and later grew to love downhill skiing with her family.
Being married to a lawyer and a Judge (Pat) she was an avid supporter of Pat's election campaigns. She was given the title "best campaign manager ever" according to a good friend of Pat and Joan's, who said, laughing, "without Joan, Pat might have gotten in a conversation in the middle of the street and got hit by a bus. She was the best campaign manager I ever worked with." She and Pat traveled extensively with longtime friends Harry and Jan Battes and Ken and Jane Hemmelgarn.
No public visitation services are planned at this time. A private memorial mass will be held for Joan at Precious Blood Church with her family. Details will be forthcoming for a memorial service as soon as we can safely gather to honor Joan with family and friends. When that happens she insisted that there should be lots of singing.
Joan's family would ask that any donations in her honor would be directed to Catholic Social Services or St. Vincent DePaul.
Condolences can be sent to Pat at: Friendship Village, 5790 Denlinger Rd, Trotwood OH 45426
Joan Foley was a Mom, Wife, Grandma, friend, neighbor, she cared about helping people, and never knew a stranger. Her family loves her so very, very much.
FOLEY, JOAN
