Joan Howard Sammis

Joan Howard Sammis passed away on November 25 after a valiant nine month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born on May 7, 1935 in Pasadena, CA to Nelson and Betty Howard and lived an idyllic childhood in Pasadena, Houston, Texas and Watertown, Connecticut while her father was in the Navy in the Aleutian Islands during WWII. She and her sister Natalie attended Westridge School in Pasadena from kindergarten through high school and she met her husband, Lee Sammis, at Cal Berkeley, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Joan and Lee moved down to Newport Beach in 1962 and raised their four daughters there.

Joan began playing tennis in grade school and was a member of the tennis team in high school, winning the Ojai tournament in 1952. She loved tennis and continued to play two to three times a week until just recently. She was a very active member of the community, heading up many boards over the years, including the Newport Harbor Service League which became the Junior League, Planned Parenthood, Newport Harbor High School PTA, American Field Service, Children’s Home Society, Adoption Guild, Angelitos de Oro, and the Decorative Arts Society. She believed in volunteerism and had trouble saying no when someone asked her to contribute her time. But her family always came first!

Joan and Lee were avid boaters and cherished their time on their Hatteras, the Shazam, sharing it with countless friends and family. Catalina holds many memories as does the Bahamas, Mexico, Snowmass, Mammoth and Alisal Ranch. They were both Hawaiiophiles and spent many wonderful weeks there throughout the years. She loved to travel, have breakfast with her friends, Almond Roca, all animals, Smoke Tree Ranch, Napili Kai, Peppermint ice cream, gardening, watching her grandchildren compete in the Junior Lifeguard’s Monster Mile, Mai Tais, Hawaiian music, good books, the Lakers, sailor’s wools, donuts at Dad’s on Balboa Island, her family and tennis. She even went to Wimbledon and on an African safari with daughter Annie and the Orient with daughter Diana.

She is survived by her mother Elizabeth Buckingham Howard of Santa Barbara, sister Natalie Anne Howard of Los Angeles, her husband Lee Chapin Sammis, her daughters Anne Elizabeth Sammis, Caroline Howard Sammis, Virginia Lee Sammis, and Diana Buckingham Sammis Brookes, son-in-law Robert Jordan Brookes, Jr. and beloved grand daughters Chelsea Lee Anne Beck, Savannah Julia Beck, Cassidy Caroline Gayner, Joanna Buckingham Brookes, Christina Valentine Brookes, Michelle DeForest Brookes and Alena Lucia Arrigo, her grandson Sammis Nelson Gayner, who is a United States Marine stationed in Iraq, as well as nieces, nephews, and hundreds of great friends who will miss her profoundly.

Joan Sammis was one of the traditional great ladies. She had no adversaries. She was as well-loved as any person can be in this life. It is inconceivable that she will not be here to see her great grandchildren, but her kindness, love, strength, class and style will be an example to which we aspire. Her favorite saying to her children and grandchildren every time they walked out the door will be passed down through the generations - “Remember who you are and what you represent.” We will never forget you Jou Jou! You were an extraordinary woman and a tough act to follow.

In lieu of flowers, she asked that donations be made to Planned Parenthood, Orange County Humane Society or Hoag Hospital Cancer Center.

Orange County Humane Society

PO Box 623-Orange Virginia 22960

540-672-0069

www.orangecountyhumanesociety.org

Planned Parenthood

1-800-798-7092 or www.plannedparenthood.org

Hoag Hospital Cancer Center

https://www.hoaghospitalfoundation.org/donate.aspx

Hoag Hospital Foundation

PO Box 6100

One Hoag Drive

Newport Beach, California 92658

Fax: 949-764-7201