"Joanne Wilkens, beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Nov. 27, 2025, at the age of 84, surrounded by her loving family. Her lifelong connection to her family and to her cherished Gilmanton farmhouse was there to the very end; she was tending her wood stove and making breakfast in her warm kitchen when she suffered a severe stroke."
"Joanne decided as a young adult that worldly adventures beckoned; she traveled and lived in Mexico, France, England, Russia and Brazil and visited a myriad of other countries during her lifetime. At different points in her life she also called New York, Boston, Baltimore and Connecticut home. She lived in Kensington, California, in the 1970s and '80s, where she raised her two sons, who grew up calling her Sweet-O."
"Joanne loved language and learned to speak French, Portuguese and Spanish fluently while earning her Master's in Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley. She was a talented educator who taught English as a second language to numerous students making new lives in the United States. Joanne was proud to point out how this work helped her students and made society a richer place."
Joanne Wilkens was born Feb. 3, 1941, on a family farm in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, and graduated Laconia High School in 1958. She raised livestock in youth and developed a lifelong love of animals. She traveled and lived in Mexico, France, England, Russia and Brazil, and lived in several U.S. cities including Kensington, California, where she raised two sons. She earned a Master's in Comparative Literature at UC Berkeley and learned French, Portuguese and Spanish. She taught English as a second language, published two books including Her Own Business, and restored two historic barns after returning to full-time rural life.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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