Joan Larsen OBITUARY

Joan Larsen OBITUARY

Joan (Joanne) Larsen, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, educator, and friend, passed away peacefully on June 22, 2026, at the age of 96. Born in Chicago in 1929, Joan lived a life dedicated to faith, family, and education, and she always gave credit to the Lord for the good things in her life. A lifelong Chicago Public School Kindergarten teacher, she devoted her career to guiding and inspiring generations of students. Her passion for learning, patience, and kindness left a lasting impact on countless lives. Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Warren Larsen. Together they built a loving family and shared many cherished years. She will be deeply missed by her children, Hon. Diane J. Larsen (Ret.) (Edward J. Maliszewski), David, and George (Arianne), grandchildren, Warren (Mayté), Edward Austin, Travis (Desireé), Jens, and Talia, and her great-grandchildren, Anilyn, David, Giovanni, Daniel, and Nadia, and also extended family members, former students, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Joan was preceded in death by her dear grandson, Hans. Joan’s legacy lives on through the values of compassion, education, and dedication that she instilled in her family and community. A visitation will be held on Sunday, June 28th, 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 6150 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago. Joan was a very devoted woman of Catholic faith and prayer and a long-standing member of St. Lambert’s Catholic Church. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, June 29th, at 10:00 AM, at St. Lambert’s Catholic Church, 8148 N. Karlov Ave., Skokie. Interment will follow at the chapel of All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines. The family invites all who knew and loved Joan to join them in celebrating her life and honoring her memory. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly recommends donations to the Dementia Society of America at dementiasociety.org. For info, 773-736-3833 or www.smithcorcoran.com.