Obituary

Joan M. Lindstrom died peacefully on June 29th in New York.

She was born in Rockford, IL to Milton H. and Virginia M. (Nordstrom) Lindstrom in 1941. Joan attended East High School in Rockford and Augustana College in Rock Island, IL from 1960 to 1963. After college, Joan moved to New York City where she earned a Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. She continued performing in New York City and throughout the United States in concerts, operas and oratorios (more than 23 in her repertoire) and sang for many seasons with the New York City Opera. The New York Herald recognized Joan’s “especially fine voice and high style” in her New York stage debut as Ursule in Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict. Joan was a soloist at the Swedish Church in New York City for many years, and cherished her experiences singing as a chorister under the famed conductor, Leopold Stokowski. A dedicated linguist, Joan was the diction coach for the Metropolitan Opera National Company, a touring company out of the Met. Joan also continued to use her writing gifts and reviewed many performances as a music critic. She also wrote human interest pieces, including one published in the New York Times Soapbox in 1994, “Remembering Ruth” a beautiful tribute to a neighborhood icon.

Joan joined the Individual Voice Faculty at AMDA (the American Musical and Dramatic Academy) in 1989 and spent 30 years passionately teaching and inspiring the talented young students who made their way there. Over the years her students have appeared in innumerable concerts, cabaret shows, Broadway shows and touring companies. They carry on the legacy of Joan’s love of performing and pursuit of excellence in a manner worthy of her memory.

Joan lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side for decades and the city of New York was one of her great loves. She enjoyed long walks in Riverside Park with her poodle Purps, and the gardens at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. She visited Rockford frequently, caring for, and ultimately dedicating her life to her beloved parents. Joan will be remembered for her joie de vivre; her enormous heart; unending generosity to her many friends and students; devotion to her family and love of nature.

She is predeceased by her sister Diane (1963), her father Milton (1999), and her mother Virginia (2012).

A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 29th 2022 at Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Avenue Rockford, IL 61104. Visitation at 9:00 a.m.; service at 10:00 a.m. A burial will follow at Scandinavian Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed: https://www.facebook.com/zionlutheranrockford.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to AMDA College, 211 W. 61st St, NY, NY 10023, referencing the Joan Lindstrom Memorial Scholarship or to Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Avenue, Rockford, IL 61104.

Heartfelt thanks to Jan Martin, David Silverman and Carmen Blanco of AMDA and Norie Mones of Beach Terrace Care Center.