Abby and Alex Wheatley grieve the passing of their mother, Joanne Wentworth Wheatley, 70, who died at home with her children on July 28, 2020.
The third of seven, Joanne was born in Berkeley, California on Feb. 25, 1950 to parents Dorothy Zaccor and Harry Wentworth.
In addition to her children, Joanne is survived by daughter-in-law Tana, granddaughter Mia, and siblings Sandra Delay, Jay, Cheryl, Michael, Deborah and Stuart Wentworth.
She is preceded in death by her husband Robert (Bob) Wheatley.
Joanne had fond memories of growing up in Berkeley and The Uplands neighborhood. She loved to explore and adventure, which she could do from within the pages of a book, on her bicycle, or in a car. As a young girl, Joanne would rise early on Saturday mornings to ride her bike to a secret spot and read her books in quiet. At the age of 8, she accompanied her older brother, Jay, on a paper route — not an easy task considering that the neighborhood spread over a steep hill at the base of the Berkeley Hills.
Joanne graduated from Holy Names High in 1968.
Joanne discovered her passion for teaching after volunteering in her younger brother, Stuart’s, second-grade classroom at John Muir. After a year at the University of Portland, Joanne convinced the Headmaster at the Academy in Berkeley to hire her out of sheer enthusiasm, though she did not yet have a teaching credential. Under Mr. Lombardo’s mentorship, Joanne grew into a highly qualified and confident teacher. She taught at the Academy for five years, stepping back in 1977 to stay home with Alex.
In April of 1973, Joanne married Bob whom she met in San Francisco after he hitchhiked out west from Ohio. They moved to Port Townsend, Washington in 1981 to raise their children. As a young mother in a new place, Joanne was grateful to find support through La Leche League, the Co-op preschool, and Char’s preschool. She continued to be involved in the schools and volunteered many hours in classrooms. Between 1989-1990, she homeschooled Alex, creating real-world learning experiences that tapped into his passion for sports and numbers. A highlight of the year (and long before the advent of the internet made it a common occurrence) was the creation of a fantasy baseball league coordinated through the high school and consisting of Alex and nine of his peers.
Joanne was a lifelong learner who cared about the journey rather than the destination, the process rather than the product. Embodying this philosophy, she led her children on countless adventures on the Olympic Peninsula, into the Redwoods, and up and down Highway 1 and Highway 101. She made her first road trip from Port Townsend to Berkeley when her children were 6 and almost 2, camping the entire way. When asked how she managed this alone, Joanne responded: “I wasn’t alone, I had Alex.” This became a biennial trip with routine stops along the Oregon Coast, the sand dunes, the Avenue of the Giants, and the Samoa Cookhouse near Eureka, among others.
Joanne and Bob owned multiple small businesses in Port Townsend until Joanne returned to her passion in teaching, completing her BA in Education, and receiving her teaching credential at the age of 58! Joanne took up teaching assignments around the world, spending 2 1/2 years at an American school in Kiev, Ukraine and shorter stints in Cairo, Caracas, and Mexico City.
As an educator, Joanne believed that learning should be fun, creative, and oriented around the students’ own interests. Though she was an avid reader, she loved to teach math because it was something she herself had struggled with.
In 2012, Joanne relocated to Tucson, Arizona, alongside Abby, opening yet another chapter of her life, and teaching her final years at Al Huda Islamic School.
Joanne had an incredible capacity to take things as they came. She was open and accepting of what unfolded, of herself, and others. She was present to the moment and those around her. When confronted with death she said calmly: “Well then, I kind of think somebody up there really likes me…” We are incredibly proud and humbled to have known Joanne. She is and will be deeply missed.
A small service was held on Aug. 5, 2020 to memorialize Joanne’s life. The family plans to hold a celebration of life in Port Townsend when it is safe to travel and gather. Please send memories of Joanne to the Wheatley Family at 260 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Apt. 3058, Tempe, Arizona, 85281. A donation can be made in Joanne’s name to her granddaughter’s tribe, the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes (earmarked for education) at fortpecktribes.org/giving.html.
