Joan Robin Urken Zimmett
… of North Salem, NY, formerly New York City. Born in Bordentown, NJ, she died peacefully on May 1 at age 75 of complications from dementia.
A graduate of St. Mary’s Hall and Goucher College, Joan was president of the Parents Associations of the All Souls Nursery School and of The Chapin School in New York City. Locally, she served on the Visitors’ Committee of the Ruth Keeler Memorial Library and on the Board of Trustees of the North Salem Open Land Foundation.
Joan excelled in her fifty-year career as a fund-raising executive, raising money to support such worthy organizations as A Better Chance, the good ship Hope, Martha Graham Dance Company, The 92nd Street Y and, as its first Director of Development, the 300-year-old New York Society Library. She joined the Library in 2008, and for the next twelve years, while she was Director, it raised more money each year than the year before, despite the Great Recession.
But these were only her professional achievements. Her legacy is the loving family she nurtured: daughters Nora (Randy Kravis) and Lili (Antoine Issaly), and her Mark, adoring husband of fifty-three years who, with their marriage, won life’s lottery.
Joan’s modesty and calm set the tone in their happy home. And when blessed with grandchildren Dylan, Sophie and Matheo, their “Gram” lavished them too with praise and love.
She will be remembered by all her family and by her many friends and admirers. Those who wish to honor her memory with a donation are requested to contribute to the “Research of Samuel Gandy, M.D., Ph.D.,” Mt. Sinai Health System, One Gustave L. Levy Place, PO Box 1049, New York City 10029.
