Joan Marie Sell

Joan Marie Sell, 90, was welcomed into the arms of her Lord and Savior on April 16, 2025. In her high school yearbook, Joan’s classmates described her as “A truer companion one could never find with goodness, gaiety and laughter combined.” These words perfectly describe the life Joan led and the joy she brought to her husband, family and friends. Joan and her twin, Jean, were born at their family home in Gaines, Michigan on April 3, 1935 to James Francis and Rose Isabelle (Cooney) Corcoran. While Joan was still young, her family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and lived in an apartment attached to a small grocery store her parents owned. Joan attended and graduated high school from Sacred Heart Academy in Mt. Pleasant where she was a member of the speech and glee clubs, various writing clubs and served as captain of the cheerleading squad. After graduation, Joan, her twin Jean and best-friend Pat, took a summer job at a restaurant in Houghton Lake, MI. When the owner became ill, the three young women jumped in and kept the business going. Joan’s stories from that experience were filled with much laughter and fond memories. In 1957, Joan received her Radiation Technician certification from St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She fulfilled her dream to go west and accepted a position at St. Francis Hospital in downtown San Francisco, California. Joan loved the mountains and became an avid downhill skier. After a few years, Joan returned to Michigan to be closer to family and worked at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Continuing her love for skiing, Joan joined a local ski club where she met her future husband, Robert Sell, at a club function. Their mutual love of dancing and two-olive martinis sparked a lifetime commitment to each other. Joan and Bob were married May 30, 1969 at St. Scholastica Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan and settled in Taylor, Michigan where Bob eventually became president of his family’s Ford tractor dealership. Joan and Bob traveled extensively during their 55 years together. Whether attending a Ford Tractor conference, skiing in Europe or traveling the US in their motorhome, they loved being “on the road.” Joan was also an avid reader of non-fiction and always had a stack of books nearby. Joan enjoyed golf belonging to several golf leagues and winning many tournament trophies. She was particularly lethal around the green. They spent several years wintering in Florida. After retirement, Joan and Bob purchased a home on Clam Lake in Bellaire, Michigan enjoying the peaceful waters of northern Michigan. Throughout her years, Joan remained a strong woman of faith and prayer champion for her family and friends. Joan’s zest for life, warm smile and welcoming spirit brought comfort and joy to all of those around her. Joan is predeceased by her husband, Robert; her parents, James and Rose Corcoran, her sisters, Mary (John Gupchik) and Jean (Jerry) Hartshorn and brother Patrick (Leta) Corcoran; brothers-in-law Kenneth (Pearl) Sell and Henry Wittig; sisters-in-law Edith (William) Marl, Irene (Harvey) Stevenson, Eleanor (Glenn) Bravender and Claire (Donald) Chavis. Joan is survived by her sister-in-law, Evelyn Wittig, dear friend Pat Horgan and numerous nephews and nieces. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, Michigan on Friday, July 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Interment will take place in September at West Mound Cemetery in Taylor, Michigan.

Joan Marie Sell

April 3, 1935 - April 16, 2025