Joan M. Jellison, 92

Joan passed away on Nov. 1, 2022, in Kalispell.

She was born in Spokane on May 6, 1930, as the only child of Ken and Marie Hardin. She grew up attending 21 different grade schools as the family moved across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Stability came after the war when the family settled in Missoula and Joan attended Sacred Heart Academy and the University of Montana studying English and Drama.

It was at the university Drama Department where she honed her acting skills and met husband of 68 years, Dean Jellison. After Dean graduated from law school they moved to Dayton, Ohio, while he served at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Her love of the theater led to her starting the Paige Manor Players where she directed “Blythe Spirit” among other plays and continued a post grad course in drama at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Joan and Dean returned to Kalispell in 1956. In 1961 she appeared in the Bigfork Summer Playhouse production of “Separate Tables” and eagerly became involved in the early 1970s when Flathead Valley Community College started their Drama Department under Ron Danko. She appeared in several plays including “The Glass Menagerie,” directed Children’s Theater and culminated with the Speakers Theater production of “Spoon River Anthology,” which toured several Montana campuses.

Joan was actively involved in the community serving as a hospital volunteer for over 35 years, a Kalispell police commissioner for 37 years, a volunteer with the Rape Crisis Line, and served on the first Hospice board for Flathead County. She was active in Republican politics and was precinct committeewoman for too many years to count. She served on the Republican Central Committee and maintained “The List” for the local party for many years. Joan was a devout Catholic and attended St. Matthew’s Catholic Church since 1956. She enjoyed serving as a lector for many years.

Joan had a healthy fear of flying until the opportunity to travel was too strong to resist and she had to overcome it. She traveled extensively in the U.S. and visited England, Scotland, Ireland and France. In the early ‘60s Joan and Dean joined with neighbors to form a Foreign Dinner Club with twice yearly menus from across the globe. This group continued through retirement and expanded to annual visits to cities across the U.S. to enjoy adventure and cuisine

She loved animals and over her lifetime provided homes for many pets, some of whom adopted her when they needed her most.

Joan and Dean raised three daughters, Pamela (Clark) Cummings, of Loveland, Colorado, Elizabeth Smith of Lakeside and Paula Jellison, formerly of Seattle.

Joan was preceded in death by her daughter Paula Jean Jellison and husband M. Dean Jellison.

Joan is survived by daughters Elizabeth Smith and Pamela Cummings, three grandchildren, Matthew (Lysa) Smith, Chaille (Shawn) Hymes, and JD (Rachel) Cummings, and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by cousin Gary Delaney of Chaska, Minnesota, and local in-laws Bruce (Betty) Jellison and Gene (Carol) Jellison.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Joan and her family.