By Jonann Brady
Her parents, the Kopfs, settled in Baldwin in the 1930s, and the family was active in a number of community groups. Joan carried on that tradition of involvement with her participation -- both as a founder, president and volunteer -- in a myriad of organizations.
"She was willing to assume leadership in anything she thought was important," said her brother, Frederick.
Joan attended Plaza Elementary and graduated Baldwin High School in 1954, where she was voted Most Athletic Female. She attended Brown University in Rhode Island and then returned to Baldwin to become a math teacher at the high school from 1958 to 1962.
In 1959, Joan married John Tiedemann, who passed away in 1989. The couple raised two children, Cathy and John, and it was then that Joan's career as an activist took off.
When her children went through school, she was the PTA president at Lenox Elementary and then served as the president of the Baldwin Board of Education in the 1970s.
She founded the Beautiful Baldwin Foundation, was active at St. Peter's Lutheran Church and the League of Women Voters, and volunteered at local soup kitchens, among her many volunteer activities.
In April, the Baldwin Foundation for Education honored Joan at its annual dinner, where BFE's president, Sheila Cohen called her "almost...a legend."
Joan's daughter, Cathy Tiedemann Squasoni, accepted the award on her mother's behalf because she was in the hospital. "My mother wanted every child in Baldwin to have the excellent education she had," said Squasoni of her mother.
Squasoni also gave a touching eulogy at her mother's funeral service on Monday, July 8 at St. Peter's Church. She talked not only about Joan's involvement but her true talent -- a quiet leadership that inspired others to work for the common good.
Friends and family echoed that sentiment. At the BFE ceremony in April, friend Lorraine Dellar said, "She has countless friends who are willing to join her when she calls. Afterward, they probably ask, 'How did I get involved in this? Why am I on my knees digging flowerbeds on Grand Avenue or mailing 3,000 postcards?'"
Joan Tiedemann is survived by her brother Frederick of Florida; her children Cathy and John, both of New York City; and two grandchildren, Douglas and Jenna.
Donations on her behalf may be sent to St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Baldwin.
