Joen P. Kinnan died peacefully at home with her cat, Shadow, lying by her side on Aug. 14, 2025. Born in Ohio on May 21, 1932, she spent the last 65 years of her life in River Forest.
After graduating from Denison University with an English degree, she had a brief career in Michigan as a teacher. When she and her then-husband moved to River Forest, she worked as an editor for Who’s Who. Eventually she found her ideal career as a freelance writer and editor who specialized in medical writing. She was very active in the group Independent Writers of Chicago for many years.
Always politically-minded, she served for decades as an election judge. She enjoyed cooking, reading, playing bridge, and watching sports, especially baseball. When her son was young, she was the manager of his Little League team. She had a particular affinity for cats, but she loved all animals, evidenced by her longtime veganism. Her entomologist father instilled in her a respect for insects, so she tried never to harm them.
Joen is survived by her daughter, Glynis (Michael Conyers, who was Joen’s caregiver extraordinaire); her son, Jason (Holly Machina); her grandsons, Joey and Neil; and her cats, Shadow and Bibi.
A Buddhist service will be held at Kadampa Meditation Center, 13 Harrison St., Oak Park, from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, with a celebration of remembrances to follow at Trattoria 225, 225 Harrison St., Oak Park, from 3 to 5 p.m. Friends are invited to attend one or both events.