Joanna Freeman (Ewing) Jones 1937 – 2022

Joanna Freeman Ewing was born in Keene, N.H., June 9, 1937, to Anna Kraatz Ewing and Donald Freeman Ewing. In 1947 the family, now including a younger brother, was transferred by the State Department to Sofia, Bulgaria, where her father was assigned as a Vice Consul to the American Legation. After returning to the U.S., her parents separated, and Joanna and her brother were raised by their mother, a teacher. Joanna attended the Northampton School for Girls, in Northampton, Mass., where she received the award as the outstanding graduating senior in 1955. She attended Smith College, Northampton, Mass. graduating in 1959. Remarkably, this made her the sixth consecutive generation of women in her family to attain a bachelor’s degree. After Smith, Joanna lived in Boston and worked at Union Mutual insurance (a forerunner of Unum). Of this job, Joanna recalled that gender discrimination was the norm at the time: Her director told her unapologetically that he couldn’t pay her as much as her male peers because she was “already the highest paid woman in the company”. In the early ’60s Joanna met her husband, Griffith Jones “Griff”, an Electrical Engineer at MIT Lincoln labs. The couple met at The Sevens pub on Beacon Hill, a place they frequented with a circle of friends that they remained close to for the rest of their lives. The couple married, settled in Marblehead, Mass., and started a family. There they enjoyed skiing, sailing, and socializing at Maddie’s Sail Loft. The family moved to Leominster, Mass. for a few years and started an auto parts store in 1973 before heading to Bath, Maine in 1977. Their second auto parts store, Bath Automotive Supply, was a fixture in downtown Bath for nearly 30 years. Always into fitness, Joanna attended jazzercise classes for almost as long. In 2006, Joanna and Griff sold their store and retired. Joanna enjoyed traveling with longtime friends, visiting with family, and spending time at their place on Saddleback Mountain. She enjoyed working out with her YMCA friends, dining out, gardening, cooking, and being a part of the Holly Street Gang. Joanna was predeceased by her husband, Griff in 2020. She is survived by her brother, David, of Portsmouth, N.H.; her three sons, Darrick and Melissa Jones of Southbury, Conn., Channing Jones and Amy Leonard of Bath, Chris and Sue Jones of Wadmalaw Island, S.C.; and eight grandchildren, Trevor, Ethan, Justin, Emelia, Evan, Porter, Cameron, and Benjamin. The family would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful people of Thornton Hall and CHANS Hospice. A date for her Celebration of life for will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice.