Joan Alexander (“Jody”), daughter of the late Christ Velis and Vasiliki (Kesses) was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 26, 1932, and was raised in Chicago with her sisters, Anne and Esther before the family moved to Oak Park. Joan graduated Marshall Elementary School in 1945, Providence High School in 1949, and Rosary College in 1953, with a BA in English. As a young girl, Joan enjoyed toe tap dance and spending time with her best friend, Florence.
In her first marriage to the late Forest Geiken, Joan was blessed with a son, Thomas, in 1957. Tom was the one person who could always make Joan laugh. The love Joan had for Tom was immeasurable. While raising Tom, Joan owned and operated a drive-in restaurant in Lansing.
In 1962, Joan met Don Zivich, of the late Alexander Zivich and Victoria (Havran) of East Chicago, Indiana. After being asked to marry him on their first date, Joan made Don wait one year before accepting his proposal. They were married on December 21, 1963, at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago. For more than 60 years, Don remained by Joan’s side, even asking her daily for the past five years if she would marry him again. After teasing with him, she always said yes.
While stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, Don and Joan were blessed with a daughter, Vanessa, in 1965. Joan and Don were among the small group of founders of the first pan Orthodox church on Oahu. Joan embraced the Hawaiian culture, learning to hula dance and sing traditional Hawaiian songs. Upon Don’s honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1968, the family moved back to the mainland, took the surname “Alexander”, and built a home in Elmhurst, Illinois, where Joan lived until her peaceful repose on January 3, 2024. Joan was a member of the Welcome Wagon and enjoyed playing tennis with her doubles partner, Marilyn. Don and Joan hosted potlucks and enjoyed playing bridge and socializing with a close circle of Elmhurst friends in the ‘70s. Joan had fond memories of backyard fun with neighbors Jim and Anna.
After raising Tom and Vanessa, Joan graduated from Harrington Institute of Interior Design and founded her own design firm, Jody Alexander Interior Designs, Ltd. Joan was a master space planner and interior designer with a keen eye for creating sleek, functional, contemporary office and residential spaces. After beating cancer in 1989, Joan closed her business and worked with Don in his investment and financial planning firm, until she retired in 1997.
In 1991, Tom married Stacey Smid; and in 1996, Vanessa married Jim Clohessy. The family continued to grow with the birth of Joan’s grandson, James (20) and granddaughter, Joanna (17). Joan’s most favorite thing to do was to be with her family, especially her grandchildren, who, affectionately called her Yiayia. Yiayia was so protective of them that she drove half a block to pick them up from the bus stop so they wouldn’t have to walk. Just mentioning their names brought a smile to her face, a twinkle to her eyes, and visible joy – to the very end.
In addition to beautifying interior spaces, Joan loved gardening and creating beauty outside. Joan was a member of the Elmhurst Garden Club, and her garden was featured one summer during the Annual Garden Walk and Faire – a recognition for which she was very proud. Joan also was an avid reader and is remembered as such at the Elmhurst Public Library.
Above all else, Joan was a woman of faith. She loved attending the services at Holy Apostles, with her favorite being the Lamentations on Holy Friday evening. Joan could be found sitting in the third row on the center aisle on the right side. She took comfort in familiarity and the friends and family that surrounded her. Joan was a member of Philoptochos and assisted with a booth at Celebration of Books. Joan and Don were members of the couples ministry, Synaxis, and were blessed to take one of two pilgrimages to the Holy Land with Fr. Bill Chiganos, of blessed memory, Tom, Stacey, Vanessa, and their dear friends from the church. Also, with friends from the church, Joan and Don were pilgrims to Russia.
Joan and Don loved to travel, and visited Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, and Greece, to name a few vacation destinations.
Together, Joan and Don worked tirelessly, and selflessly sacrificed to provide a future for their children and grandchildren.
For approximately the past eight years, Joan suffered cognitive decline and memory loss due to dementia. Through the battle, Joan knew something was not quite right and often expressed that she did not feel well. But the one thing
the disease could never take away was her love and expression of love for her family. By the grace of God, Joan did not remember the most tragic loss of all – the repose of her son, Tom, in 2019.
Joan also was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Anne Kangles (Constantine), her nephew, Nicholas Kangles, her godson, George, and beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Joan is survived by her husband, Don, sister, Esther Velis, daughter Vanessa Clohessy (Jim), grandchildren James and Joanna Clohessy, daughter in law Stacey, godson Don Singleton, and loving cousins.
Visitation is on Saturday, January 13, at 9:30 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, 2501 S. Wolf Rd. Westchester, IL 60154. Interment Chapel Hill Gardens West Cemetery, Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
In lieu of flowers, donations payable to Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church are appreciated. Please indicate “Don and Joan Alexander Memorial Fund” with the donation.
For info, Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – THE AHLGRIM CHAPEL, (630)834-3515 or www.ElmhurstFH.com.
