Joanne Denworth died March 1 of Alzheimer's disease. She was 85. She leaves her beloved
twins, Lydia and Michael, their spouses, Mark Justh and Christin Bassett, her five grandsons,
Jacob, Matthew, Alex, Ben, and Jamie, her sisters, Nancy Redmond and Margaret (Peggy)
Redmond and their families, and her long-time partner, John Bower. She was preceded in death
by her husband of 37 years, Ray Denworth, Jr.
Before Alzheimer's struck her more than 10 years ago, Joanne was known as one of
Pennsylvania's leading environmentalists. A graduate of Vassar College ('60) and one of only a
handful of women in her class at Penn Law School ('63), she built a pioneering career as a land
use and environmental lawyer. She was the kind of environmentalist who was passionate but
practical, excelling at both innovative ideas and real-world solutions. Her goal was to bring
people together and get them talking and collaborating, and she succeeded.
For the last ten years of her life, Joanne was lovingly cared for by the remarkable Kelly Wiley,
who made everything better. There were also many home health aides who helped, but Joanne
Smith stands out for her dedication and heart. Every family should be so fortunate.
A full obituary can be found at
https://memorialsource.com/memorial/joanne-redmond-denworth
A celebration of Joanne's life is planned for Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at the Marriott Old City
in Philadelphia.
Donations in her memory can be made to:
Pennsylvania Environmental Council
https://pecpa.org/join-pec/
10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania
http://10000friends.org/support-our-work
Women's Way of Greater Philadelphia
https://womensway.org/donate/
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