A celebration of Joanna’s life will be 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the First Congregational Church (Gatton Hall), 4515 S.W. West Hills Road in Corvallis. A vegetarian potluck will follow at 6 p.m. (vegan dishes are especially welcome, as Joanna was a vegan). A special memorial contra dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. If at all possible, please ride your bicycle. If not, please carpool.
Joanna Karl was born in Cleveland , Ohio , on Aug. 18, 1951. Joanna died on Friday, Feb. 29, when she fell while working on her house.
She received her first bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and completed a second bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Santa Barbara.
In 1986, Joanna moved to Portland to work at Metro (the Portland area’s regional government). She completed a master’s degree in environmental engineering and was licensed as a professional engineer in 1993. While at Metro, she was especially excited about the opportunity to work on projects involving water conservation, rainwater harvesting and rooftop gardens. She worked at Metro until the time of her death.
Joanna was one of the most creative people we have ever known. An accomplished woodworker, she built harps, banjos, and hammered dulcimers, among much else. She also made clothing, outdoor gear and beautiful quilts, most of which she gave away as gifts to friends and family. She enjoyed photography, collage, and various other graphic arts, most of which, again, she gave away. Gifts were wrapped in beautiful used fabric, rather than new paper. She was especially gifted in repurposing paper, cloth, and other materials into new and useful works of art.
Joanna loved outdoor activities such as hiking and cross-country skiing and frequently took backpacking trips with her friends. She was also an energetic and playful contra dancer, laughing and smiling as she skipped and swung and spun down the line.
In an autobiographical sketch written in 1993, Joanna wrote, “I try to live simply, respect life, and to impact the natural environment as little as possible. I attempt to be consistent between my personal belief system and my lifestyle choices, [including] vegetarianism, bicycle commuting, and war tax resistance … I am also an activist … (hopefully) teaching by example … It feels good when someone seeks me out for information or to excitedly report on their own lifestyle changes.”
To a rare degree, Joanna truly did walk her talk. And she did it with a big smile!
In 2001, Joanna and her friend, Peace (John) Helm, purchased a dilapidated house on Crystal Lake Drive in south Corvallis . Their plan for rebuilding the house included straw-bale insulation, earthen plaster, sustainably harvested lumber, recycled metal roofing, and an adobe floor with radiant heating. Friends and neighbors joined in the project at a number of work parties.
Joanna is remembered as an exceptionally warm, generous and loving friend to many. Joanna’s loving heart, wide smile, and outspoken concern for the Earth will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Joanna’s life will be 5 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the First Congregational Church (Gatton Hall), 4515 S.W. West Hills Road . A vegetarian potluck will follow at 6 p.m. (vegan dishes are especially welcome, as Joanna was a vegan).A special memorial contra dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. If at all possible, please ride your bicycle. If not, please carpool.
Donations of money or time in Joanna’s name may be made to the War Resisters League (www.warresisters. org), or to any organization which supports peace, social justice, or a healthy environment. But the very best way to honor Joanna’s memory is to be generous and kind, ride your bicycle … and smile!
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Dear friends of Joanna,
I continue to be amazed by how many lives Joanna touched and how much she meant to so many people.
One of you wrote something about Joanna and asked me to print it out and post it up at her memorial service. This sounded like a good idea, so if you want to write something about Joanna or if you have a favorite picture of her you’d like to share, please email them to me and I will put them up at the memorial on Sunday.
Peace Helm (peacehelm@hotmail.com)
