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Remembering Joan Davis: 50-year Member of VVAW

By VVAW

Joan S. Davis of Oak Park, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home with the views of her beautiful summer garden on August 23rd, 2024. Born on December 6th, 1949, to loving parents Beatrice (Brickman) and Paul Hammer in Eastchester, New York. Joan earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin Madison; she later attended the University of Illinois Chicago, where she received her master's degree in History. Joan was forever changed by her education at the University of Wisconsin and the anti-war activism of the time.

Joan moved to Chicago, where she met her husband, Bill Davis, a Vietnam Veteran and VVAW member. Together, they marched and protested along with other Vietnam Veterans Against the War and thousands of others through the streets of Chicago and nationwide. She continued to protest the war machine through the many American conflicts to follow, never wavering in her belief that justice and peace were worth fighting for. Joan and Bill's mutual passion for equity and social justice led them to put their roots down in Oak Park. In this progressive and open-minded community, they created their forever home, growing and shaping a loving family with two children, Joshua and Rebecca. Whether camping at the annual VVAW campout or attending the many protests, Memorial Days, and Veterans Day events, VVAW events were a family affair.

Most who knew and loved Joan would agree that she left her largest activism mark during her many years as a gifted and dedicated educator. She taught a pathbreaking seminar on the Vietnam War at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois; Barry Romo often spoke at those seminars, and students were riveted, and their minds were changed. Many students recounted how special Joan's classes were in teaching critical thinking, justice, morality, and questioning authority. Teaching high school Social Studies at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, she was not just an educator but a force for critical thought and analysis, bringing multiple perspectives and underrepresented voices into her classroom.

Joan pioneered the first US History Seminar at York, introducing students to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, challenging them to rethink traditional narratives and engage deeply with history. She founded a high school chapter of Amnesty International to connect students to global human rights issues. She also created the advocacy club, REALITY, aimed at enlightening students about racism, welcoming diversity, and making the school a more inclusive space. Her efforts shaped the York community and empowered generations of students to become advocates for equity and justice.

Joan brought rigor and real debate to her classes, supporting students in learning about the past and helping them understand what it meant to engage with the present and have hope for the future. In her classes, she cared about students as whole human beings. Through field trips to art and history museums, bringing in guest speakers, and courageously discussing more recent events, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she was able to help thousands of young people find their confidence, opinions, and voices over the years. Joan also helped plan an anti-war teach-in during this time, ensuring that her students and colleagues stayed engaged for peace.

Joan's influence on her students didn't end with graduation. Many have gone on to careers and activism that make the world a better place. Some teachers may wonder about their impact, but Joan didn't have to. Countless students returned over the years to express gratitude, and many forged enduring friendships with her, which were rooted in deeply shared values and respect. Her former students are forever grateful for having Joan as their history teacher.

Beyond the classroom, Joan was a fierce negotiator and a devoted union activist. She served as Vice President and co-President of the Elmhurst Teachers' Council, consistently standing up for the rights of others even when it did not benefit her personally. Joan was known for her unwavering dedication to fairness, always putting the greater good ahead of her own interests. Even after retirement, Joan supported current teachers navigating the right-wing backlash infecting our schools today. She spoke at school board meetings and organized support for teachers under attack, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to justice, education, and the importance of learning a full and comprehensive history.

As much as Joan embraced her fighting spirit, she will also greatly be remembered as a loving mother and Nana to little William. She was a great lover of life, and her love of life was infectious, even in the face of great loss. On any given sunny afternoon, you could find her meditating among her flowers in her beautiful garden, releasing butterflies with her grandson, creating exceptional pottery pieces and art, and always dancing and humming along to music. She was a loving and loyal friend, creating a multi-generational quilt of friendships that she maintained throughout her life. Joan loved storytelling in all forms and instilled that love into her family and friends. She was a free spirit that flowed beautifully through the world and somehow remained grounded.

The tragic losses of her son Josh at the age of 18 and soon after her husband Bill were deeply dark times in her family. But indomitable Joan, rather than retreating, strengthened the community around her. On her first Christmas without Josh, she invited all of his and her friends to make ornaments and decorate the tree at her house. The ornaments contained special messages dedicated to Josh. It was a time of storytelling, laughter, and love shared. Not only did she gain strength from that special day, but she also showed that personal loss can be overcome. Joan continued strengthening Josh's community of friends, emphasizing how we all need one another. She also established the Josh Davis Memorial Scholarship to celebrate his love and dedication to nurturing and preserving the environment.

Joan will be remembered as a loving mother and Nana, a tireless and compelling advocate for freedom and peace with justice, and a political activist for anti-war, union, labor, women's and civil rights, and many other progressive causes.

She most recently spoke at the VVAW Memorial Day event near the Chicago River in 2024, remembering Barry Romo.

Prescient in the times we face today, Joan said in that speech in 2024: "I'm a 50-year member of VVAW…We have had joy and fun…times to share love and friendship. [We need] to create the kind of world we want to live in—that we want our children to live in—that we want our grandchildren to live in. We need to deal with the big issues that really matter. We need to take care of one another. We need to end the violence we see around us. We need to end the endless wars."

Joan Davis at Celebration of Barry Romo's life, Chicago, May 27, 2024.

Joan Davis at VVAW Veterans Day event, Chicago, November 11, 2001.

Joan and Becky Davis, Dewey Canyon IV, Washington, DC, May 1982.

Joan and Bill Davis.