Family of Joann Marie Williams

Joann Williams grew up in many areas of the country as a “Marine Corps brat.” Her father retired as a Lt. Colonel from USMC El Toro in the late 1960’s and moved the family to Mission Viejo from Pennsylvania. Joann attended high school, first in the Philadelphia area, then finished at Mission Viejo High School. After graduation from MVHS, Joann went to Europe for two months in the summer as part of the People to People Student Study Abroad and Home Stay Program. She visited London, Oslo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Moscow, Paris and Stockholm. Upon returning home, Joann enrolled as a freshman at Saddleback College. She continued her education at UC Irvine graduating cum laude with a BA degree and teaching credential. Over the years, Joann also took numerous graduate level education courses at the University of Phoenix.
Joann began her 30+ year career in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District and worked at O’Neill, De Portola and Santiago elementary schools. As a teacher, her favorite subjects were mathematics and general science at the sixth grade level. Most of Joann’s teaching career was at Santiago Elementary in Lake Forest.
Joann and her husband, John, are the proud parents of two children, Ian and Lauren, and all are graduates of Saddleback College. John served on the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees for 18 years and Joann attended numerous college functions with John during that time. Joann passed in 2014 from breast cancer. The Williams family established an endowed scholarship in Joann’s honor and is dedicated to supporting students who intend to become elementary school teachers.