Lois Mitchell

Joanne was a giving and gifted woman.  She had a warm sarcastic wit that played on words and she was her own best audience with an infectious laugh and smile.  For 30 years she lived in The Hague in the Netherlands with her husband Pieter Leenhouts.  He was her second best audience and a companion in word play wit.  Gifted in languages, within her first year in Holland Joanne wrote poetry in Dutch.  As a child psychologist who had no children of her own, she nurtured many disturbed offspring of others.  In high school Joanne continued Hebrew studies.  She used, that knowledge when she attended service, for sure on the high holidays. She could sing the songs of praise, the berachot and prayers literally.  She remained strongly American and became active in an American Woman’s group.  Joanne kept close ties to Detroit and visited at least once a year when she was able.  She was cursed with nature forces of bi-polar disease, early onset Alzheimer, cancer on the roof of her mouth and breast cancer. Her Husband was supportive and nurturing though all her bouts.  Joanne remained courageous and laughing as long as she could.

Joanne died at 60.