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Joan Ellen Cobb answered her call from the Lord, on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center. Born in Washington, DC on November 1, 1941, she was the youngest of three children to the late James Blaine Cobb, Esq. and Leona Marie Cobb. She was raised in a loving, God-fearing home. They attended Berean Baptist Church, where her father was a member of the choir. One of her most cherished memories of her father was hearing him perform a solo rendition of “Precious Lord”, her favorite spiritual.
Joan was a member of the Theodore Roosevelt High School Class of 1959 in Washington, DC, where she served as President of the Student Government Association and as a member of the German Club. After graduating from high school, she immediately went to work in the District of Columbia Public School system, teaching kindergarten, second and third grades at West Elementary School. She did this while simultaneously enrolled at Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. She went on to work at Rosemary Hills Elementary in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Committed to the education of self and others, Joan continued her scholastic journey at the University of Maryland, College Park where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Education in 1975, ultimately earning her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education in 1978, also from the University of Maryland.
Once educated, Joan took her light and leadership to share with the world. Her focus was on the youth, and her commitment was strong. After various teaching positions, she landed at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), where she served in many capacities for 20 years. She began to touch and shape lives in the manner only Dr. Joan Cobb could. Her students would often seek her advice when faced with a daunting task or when faced with life challenges. Dr. Cobb would simply respond with the entire first verse of one of her favorite poems, “Somebody Said That It Couldn’t Be Done”, by Edgar A. Guest. She had an affinity for the “underdog”, often jumping into the role of motivational speaker and mentor to those who felt overlooked and undervalued. Not surprising that she would format her email signature to include, “It’s Not Easy Being Green”, one of her favorite songs, because it is a song confirming self-worth. She simply would not let her students quit. If you brought to her attention a good idea or a dream you wished to pursue, she would look you in the eye with assertive warmth and say “I Dare You!” She would literally “dare” her students to succeed, because for Dr. Joan Cobb, failure was not an option. She loved spending time with her students and would accompany them on educational trips abroad, which included travel to China and Ghana. She absolutely LOVED Ghana!
Joan was not only inspirational through her words, she also led by example, ascending into leadership at BCCC serving on the faculty, as well as, in the capacities of Program Chair, Academic Advisor, Program Developer, and Vice President of Academic Affairs. She retired from BCCC in 2008, but continued to educate as an adjunct faculty member at Morgan State University, also in Baltimore. She has served on multiple committees and has received multiple Governor Citations from the State of Maryland. She was an exemplary leader, educator, mentor, and motivator.
Joan loved her family. She married her high school sweetheart, Joseph I. Wilson and from that union, came two sons. In August, 1960, Joseph and Joan became the proud parents of Joseph I. Wilson, Jr, affectionately known to family and friends as “Joey”. The arrival of Joey was extra special for two reasons; not only was he the first born, he also just happened to arrive on the birthday of her big sister Bessie. She gave birth to Jon Wilson in September,1963. They raised their sons with the nurturing love of the Cobb and Wilson Families that included many cousins born from the families of Joan’s brother Jimmie and sister Bessie, both of whom she loved immensely. Her closeness to her sister was second to none. They stamped their bond by forming an unofficial corporation, “My Systaz Ink”, where they produced love and precious memories at their regular meetings held at Red Lobster; she absolutely adored her brother and sister. She and her sister Bessie were also neighbors in the Watermark Place Condominiums in Columbia, Maryland where she resided for over 30 years. This afforded them the luxury of spending a lot of time together, especially in the later years. They were so close and the Watermark Community seemed to revere them as “Matriarchs” of the building. It was not uncommon to see her and Bessie walking the halls, sharing their wisdom, smiles and laughter with neighbors.
But it was the grandchildren and the great grandchildren, her “GG’s,” that made her heart melt. Joan would always want to spend time with whom she referred to as her “Puddins.” It was a rite of passage for all grandchildren and great grandchildren to get the Grand mommy / Grammy serenade, “I Love You, a Bushel and a Peck, a Bushel and a Peck and a Hug around the Neck!”. Joan was a beautiful woman with a gorgeous smile that would light up a room, accompanied by a contagious sense of humor and intelligence that manifested into sharp wit. She could make you laugh, even if you didn’t feel like it. She loved watching movies, attending the theater, solving crossword puzzles, reading, listening to Motown Music and was one of the meanest Scrabble Players on the planet.
In addition to her parents, James and Leona Cobb, Joan is preceded in death by her brother, James W. Cobb. Her love continues to live through her two sons, Joseph I. Wilson, Jr. and Jon E. Wilson; daughters-in-love, Veronica Wilson and Pamela Wilson who was also her devoted nurse; grandchildren, Joshua Bey, Lakeya Kabia, Kelli Miller, Erik Wilson, Brittney Wilson, Justin Wilson, Jordan Wilson, Rachel Wilson, and Joseph Wilson, III; and eight great-grandchildren, affectionately known as her “GG’s,” Josh, Princess, Jeremiah, Kayla, Elijah, Mason, Logan and Kevin, Jr. (“KJ”). She leaves to cherish her memory her sister, Bessie Howard; eight nieces and nephews, John, Jim, Judy, Jenifer, Janette, Mike, Charles, and Jimmie; a devoted companion, friend, confidant and birthday twin, Lori Childers, as well as a host of other loving relatives, colleagues, former students, and friends. Her memory will be a light for all who knew her.
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