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Joan Margaret (Norris) Randall - Seybold

Posted 2008-11-09 by Sharon
The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ
July 30, 2008, p.A10

Joan Randall Seybold passed away on July, 24 after a brief illness. Memorial services will be held on Thursday (July 31) at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Wickenburg.

She was born Joan Margaret Norris Dec. 19, 1927 to Adelia Lawrence and John Patrick Norris in New Haven, Conn. Joan completed her public education in Branford, Conn., and later attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., where she met and married James M. Randall, her husband of 36 years, on July 12, 1950.

For the next 30 years, his jobs as teacher, principal, and superintendent took them to Branford and Madison, Conn.; Little Falls and Guilderland, N.Y.; and finally Wickenburg, Ariz. During that time, they had two daughters, Barbara Jean “Bobbie” in December of 1951 and Sara Elizabeth in 1965. Between those years, she worked as nurse/receptionist for Drs. Blanchard, Rosenthal, and Nickou in their offices in Branford.

Always active in civic affairs, at various times she was a Girl Scout leader, an officer of the League of Women Voters and a Rotary Ann in her years in Wickenburg.

She was one of the founders of the Wickenburg Habitat for Humanity, was on the Community Hospital Board, as well as Los Caballeros Desert Museum. She started the Life Alert System for the general Wickenburg area, and was a member of the local Photography Club, the Wickenburg Country Club and was very fond of her sisters in P.E.O. and Red Hat Society.

She was ordained an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Wickenburg in 1982, she served two three-year terms on the session. She was also an officer of the Church Property Corporation from 1990 to 2005.

Eight years after the death of her first husband, she met and married the second love of her life, William H. Seybold, formerly of Rochester, N.Y. Although almost 20 years her senior, they were lucky enough to have 15 years of travel, volunteering, Camera Club and golf together before his death exactly one month and two days before her.

She is survived by sisters Nancy Gould of Noank, Conn., and Susan McKinlay of Branford, Conn.; daughters Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Randall Brannen and her husband Jerry of Valdez, Alaska, and Sara Randall of Mesa, Ariz.; beloved nephew Kevin Randall and wife Nancy of Georgetown, S.C.; beloved niece Jennifer Orf and husband Chris, who were such a support to her in her final months, as always; nieces and nephews John McKinlay and family of Charlton, Mass.; Brad Collins and family of New Haven, Conn.; Greg Collins and family of Brookline, Mass.; Rachel Brown and family of Tiverton, R.I.; Sue Gulliver and family of Monrovia, Md.; and great-good friends Jeanette Jones, Dick and Wilma Doud, Ann and Hank Brubaker, all of Wickenburg; Nancy and Ken Dallmeyer of San Marcos, Calif.; and many other friends, who shared her joy of life.

A remembrance video will be posted on youtube.com. Search by typing in Joan Seybold. Condolences may be sent to P.O. box 342 Wickenburg, AZ 85358. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the First Presbyterian Church or Habitat for Humanity of Wickenburg.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wickenburg Funeral Home.




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