Joan Bard Collins, a longtime resident of Oak Park, died on April 7, 2026 in Palm Springs, California. Born in Illinois in 1936, she grew up in Whiting, Indiana.
She was a 1954 graduate of Bishop Knoll Catholic School and earned her bachelor’s degree at Ball State Teachers College in 1958. She began teaching in the Chicago area as part of the Chicago Public School system. During that time, she also earned her Master in Education from Loyola University Chicago.
A lifelong lover of art, she met her husband James during a drawing class at the Art Institute of Chicago. They ran a successful architectural firm in Oak Park for over 40 years before retiring in 2021.
She was also a published author of mysteries. In addition to several short stories, her historical mystery novel, Honor Above All, is currently in its second printing.
Joan will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her husband, James; her son, Matthew (Celeste), and their children, Gabriel and Neige; her son, Jon (Thomas Hietter); her son, Owen (Ann Courtney), and their children, McKelvey, Arden and Liam.