Joan Frayn Carpenter

In the presence of her daughters, Joan Carpenter (Joan Stuart Frayn) passed away at dawn Oct. 10, 2014, at Bayview Manor in Seattle. She was born Feb. 22, 1928, at Swedish Hospital and grew up in Seattle.

As a young child, Joan and her younger brother, Richard, accompanied their mother and aunt, Harriet Baird, to Four Winds Camp on Orcas Island. During those happy summers, Joan forged enduring friendships and fostered her love of the outdoors, singing, adventure and sailing. Even in their 80s and 90s, those “ancient campers” have continued to gather annually to catch up and reminisce about the summers they shared.

From an early age, Joan demonstrated superior intelligence and an aptitude for mathematics. She attended both Helen Bush School for Girls and Smith College on scholarships. At Smith, Joan began lifelong friendships with her classmates in the Martha Washington House. Smith College offered Joan boundless opportunities. She was torn between the study of math or chemistry, unusual choices for a woman in the 1940s. At Smith, she was free to achieve her potential in the company of like-minded women. Those were treasured years. In 1949, Joan graduated with a degree in chemistry.

She then moved to Los Angeles, where she took a job with IBM as a “systems service girl,” an early computer programmer. In 1951, Joan married James Franklin Carpenter, a chemical engineer. They lived in the Los Angeles area for six years, welcoming four children into their family, Carrie Elizabeth, James Stuart, Richard Dutton and Jeannette Frayn. In 1958, the family moved to the Bay Area, where they purchased a large, old house in San Mateo Park. Andrew Howard was born five years later. While the children were growing up, Joan actively volunteered for their schools. She also took on the financial responsibilities of treasurer for both The Junior League and the Bay Area Smith Club. In her spare time (while raising five children), Joan transcribed books for the blind, using a stylus to punch letters and at the same time writing words (backward) in braille. In 1968, the family moved south to Santa Monica. There, they remodeled an old, shingled Cape Cod house with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Joan continued to volunteer in Southern California. In 1969, she was recruited by a doctor’s wife to found the nationally recognized Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center Auxiliary, CARES (Center Auxiliary for Recruitment, Education and Services). Joan established the CARES financial procedures and single-handedly managed all the transactions for several years. As her youngest child began school, Joan returned to work. Although she had never been “employed” as a bookkeeper, Walter Perkins recognized her aptitude and chose her over 20 other young applicants. In 1974, sadly, while Joan was employed by Perkins Bookkeeping Service, her husband, Jim, suddenly passed away. Joan was widowed at 46 years old with five children aged 11 to 21.

In 1978, Joan was honored as the second recipient of CARES volunteer of the year. Soon after that, Joan took the position of comptroller at The Beach Club in Santa Monica. Although she was not certified as a CPA, Joan was responsible for all of the financial transactions within multiple departments. Over time, she acquired a staff, including her daughter-in-law, Michi. Eventually, she supervised the conversion from the Beach Club’s dedicated ledger accounting system to a generic computerized system. Joan spent 17 rewarding years reconciling the books from her beach view office while enjoying the camaraderie of the Beach Club staff. She was in her element, truly her home away from home.

In her 70s, Joan began planning to return to the Northwest. In 1989, she moved her parents from the San Francisco Bay Area to Seattle, where they became Horizon House residents. By 1995, she also helped her brother, Richard, move from Los Angeles to the Bayview Manor retirement facility. Finally, after almost 30 years in Southern California, at the age of 67, Joan “retired” and moved to Whidbey Island near her daughters. Every week she rode the commuter bus into Seattle to care for her parents and volunteer at Plymouth Congregational Church, which she attended as a child. In addition, within a year, Joan became the treasurer of an investment club, Island Treasure Chest. She enjoyed island living, neighborhood parties and beach breakfasts with family and new friends. After 11 years of independent living on Whidbey Island, as she approached 80 years old, Joan chose to downsize and move to Horizon House in Seattle.

At Horizon House, Joan savored the nearby company of her new friends, as well as many she had known since childhood. She enjoyed easy access to the opera, movies and spontaneous social gatherings as well as the Saturday breakfast group. Joan cruised in Europe, attended Smith College reunions and flew south to visit her family. As always, Joan gave back to her community, volunteering her financial expertise on both the Residency Council and in the Thrift Shop. She also continued to dedicate time to Plymouth Church. Joan remained “actively retired” until her safety was compromised by the sudden onset of brain cancer. Her daughter Jeannette came to care for her. For a woman who savored her independence and intelligence, it was heartbreaking to endure the loss of her abilities. Through the ordeal, Joan remained cheerful and kind. She was both admired and loved by many people from various walks of life. Joan’s manner was always welcoming and respectful. She possessed a genuine delight in each individual she met. An unselfish, cheerful, can-do woman, Joan’s presence brought a warm light to all of us. She is deeply missed.

Joan is survived by her brothers, Richard L. Frayn Jr., Marshall Dutton (Alma) and John Dutton (Yolanda); her children, Carrie Liz Carpenter, Stuart Carpenter, Richard Carpenter (Michi), Jeannette Carpenter and Andrew Carpenter; as well as her five granddaughters, Sakura Carpenter, Kana Carpenter, Chikara Carpenter, Nora Anastasi and Emma Anastasi. Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Jeannette Baird Frayn Dutton and Richard L. Frayn Sr.; her stepfather, Harry John Dutton; and her husband, James Franklin Carpenter. There will be a celebration of Joan’s life at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle.

Donations may be addressed to The Good Cheer Food Bank, 2812 Grimm Road, Langley, WA 98260; the ARISE Charitable Trust, P.O. Box 1014, Freeland, WA 98249; or Hearts & Hammers, P.O. Box 694, Langley, WA 98260-0694.