Joan Taylor MacHatton

Joan Taylor MacHatton passed away on April 29, 2026 at the age of 95. She was born Joan Goldthwaite Taylor on October 13, 1930 in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Her parents were George Goldthwaite Taylor and Kathryn Beckley Taylor.

Joan and her family, which included her older half-sister, Louise “Ted” Fisher, lived in a predominantly working-class Italian neighborhood where she went to elementary school until the outbreak of World War II. At that time, her father took a management position with the War Production Board in Washington D.C.  They lived in the suburb of Kensington, Maryland, where all their neighbors worked for the government or related companies. Her father was a sports enthusiast, and he taught her to play both softball and baseball. This inspired her love of sports, and she even coached softball while she was in high school. She also fell in love with horses and would go riding nearly every day that her schedule and the weather would allow.

Joan met her future husband, Joseph George MacHatton, in high school when she filled in as a player on the baseball team her father coached. He was an excellent athlete also and lived a few blocks away from her in Kensington, Maryland. Joan was a couple of years older than Joe and was on her way to college, so their romance had to last through that. She attended her father’s alma mater, Middlebury College, in Vermont and graduated with a degree in English Literature.

Upon graduating and returning home, she and Joe married on July 11, 1953, a marriage that lasted until Joe passed away in 2009. A month after they married, they moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, for Joe to complete his college degree in civil engineering at Purdue University.  While there, they welcomed their first child, Michael, in 1954. Joe was a member of the Army Reserves while in college and after graduating he joined the regular Army and was stationed at Fort Belvoir in the Washington D.C. area.  They moved to Alexandria, Virginia, for several years where they were blessed in short order with two more boys, Douglas in 1956 and David in 1957. 

After a brief stop at Fort Bragg, they shipped off to the Panama Canal Zone in 1962. Living on base as an officer’s wife with three boys free ranging around the base and the jungle and the lake was truly an idyllic time for Joan. It was in Panama that Joan began her 30 plus year career as a teacher at Gatun Elementary School teaching the children of the soldiers stationed on the base.  She also was able to pursue her athletic interests as a left-handed catcher on the base softball team.  They lived in Panama for three years before transferring back to Fort Belvoir.  At that time, Joe decided to leave the Army and pursue a master’s degree in engineering at Purdue, so back it was to West Lafayette. Joan took that opportunity to also get her master’s degree in education.

Upon graduating, Joe took a position with Clyde Williams Engineering in South Bend. Mom promptly started her teaching career in South Bend beginning with Harrison Elementary School. Over the years she also taught at Perly, Kennedy, and Monroe. Her entire career in South Bend schools was working with kids from difficult circumstances. She was dedicated to helping them learn to the best of their abilities to prepare them for a good life. 

Joan was a life-long and highly skilled bridge player, and she played into her late-80’s when her vision deteriorated and she couldn’t see the cards. While the family started out with dogs, after the boys went off on their journeys, Joan and Joe became devoted cat people. They shared Regina for 15 years and after Joe and then Regina passed, Josephine joined Joan for another 15 years for more than 30 years of loving companionship. Joan was also actively involved for over 40 years in AA organizations and served as an inspiration and sponsor to many people.

Joan spent her final years as a longtime resident of St Paul’s Senior Community where she lived for almost 15 years, most of it independently. In addition to regular bridge games, she participated in the bell choir for many years, which she enjoyed immensely. Her apartment at St Paul’s was easy to find because there was always a family of giraffes outside dressed to match the season or holiday.  She made many friends of the residents and staff through those years and was always grateful to them for their friendship, support and caring.

Joan is survived by her two sons and their wives, Douglas and Cynthia and David and Carol; as well as seven grandchildren: Maria (Peter) Pryputniewicz, Joseph (Megan) MacHatton, Danielle (Kevin) Barner, Michael (Rachel) MacHatton, Christopher MacHatton, Hayley MacHatton and Katlyn (Matthew) Darr. Joan also was blessed with seven great-grandchildren: Quinn, Bennett, Aiden, Evan, Caleb, Emma and Lockton, all of whom she was able to meet at a life celebration for her 95th birthday. Although her eldest son, Michael, passed away before her, her daughter-in-law, Annabelle MacHatton survives her.  Joan’s sister-in-law, Arden Blunt, also survives her as the last of her family’s generation.

A memorial service for Joan will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at Palmer Funeral Home—Hickey Chapel, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, IN. In lieu of flowers, if you wish to make a memorial contribution in her name, she was a long and strong supporter of Potawatomi Zoo, especially the giraffes.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com

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