Adams County History & Genealogy

Joan W. McCoy

Joan W. McCoy, age 73, of Miamisburg, OH, passed away at 6:20 pm on Nov 23, 2003, at the Hospice of Dayton. Mrs. McCoy was born on March 1, 1930, in Portsmouth, OH, the daughter of John E. Wittenmyer, a prominent attorney in West Union, OH, and Kathleen Wittenmyer, a former schoolteacher. Joan lived in West Union until the age of 13, when her family moved to the Wittenmyer ancestral farm just outside Peebles, OH. She attended Peebles Middle School until the 9th grade, when she moved to Columbus, OH, where she attended North High School until her graduation in 1948; Joan enrolled at Wooster College in the Fall of 1948 and graduated with honors in 1952 with a degree in Art History. Mrs. McCoy was employed by the Ceramic enter in Cincinnati as an instructor in Ceramic Art. After a 3-month tour of European art sites in late 1954, she returned home to Ohio and married her Mid-School sweetheart, James L. McCoy, an Air Force officer who had just returned home from Korea and Japan. After her marriage on June 19, 1955, the couple lived in Peebles, OH, for a year, before moving to Dayton in 1956. Mrs. McCoy was hired by the Dayton Art Institute as First Docent, in charge of creating tour information for the museum's exhibits, as well as training and supervising the volunteer guides. During this time she attended the University of Dayton, earning a teaching degree, and Wright State University, earning a Masters in Fine Arts degree. In 1962, Mrs. McCoy started a teaching career at Wayne High School, as a high school art teacher until her retirement in 1992. Mrs. McCoy was an accomplished artist throughout her career as a teacher, as well as in her retirement years, creating award-winning art in watercolors, oils and acrylics, in addition to ceramics, jewelry, and weaving. Also during her retirement years she and her husband pursued an active post-career buying and selling antiques and art objects in numerous outlets in the area. Mrs. McCoy was preceded in death by her father and mother, her father-in-law, Floyd E. McCoy, her mother-in-law, Clara Mae McCoy, and her brother, James Wittenmyer, a prominent architect in Portsmouth, OH. Survivors include her husband and best friend of 48 years, James L. McCoy, her sister-in-law, Luella Wittenmyer of Portsmouth, her sister-in-law Kathryn McCoy of Nelsonville, OH, and nephews John and James Wittenmyer, niece Suzanne Shaffer, and grandnieces Annamary Shaffer and Emily Wittenmyer and grand-nephew Caleb Wittenmyer. Also surviving are two wonderful friends and fellow art teachers, Sharon Dunaway and Shirley Harbaugh. The family will receive friends 5:00 to 8:00 pm, Friday, Nov 28 at the Tobias Funeral Home, 5471 Far Hills Avenue. The funeral will take place Saturday, Nov 29 at 10:00 am at the Fairmont Presbyterian Church at 3705 Far Hills Avenue, with Reverend Robert Wade and Reverend Robert Edwards officiating. Burial will take place at the Locust Grove Cemetery near Peebles, OH, Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm, with Reverend Robert Edwards officiating.