Joan Sarah Griswold Kaus

Joan met her future husband, Norbert Kaus, in high school, and they became engaged while he was a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. They married in 1955 after his graduation and embarked on a life of service and dedication as a military family.

Throughout her career, Joan worked in various nursing roles. In Converse, Texas, she helped establish a School Nursing Program and organized a Polio Vaccination Program to support underserved migrant families. She frequently visited families in their homes, providing medical care, food, and clothing. Her career spanned medical-surgical units, emergency rooms, ICUs, and psychiatric care, and she volunteered at a Boystown Facility in Converse. After Norb retired from the Air Force in 1974, Joan continued her nursing career in Annandale, VA, serving at Fairfax Hospital and Georgetown University Hospital as an Evening Supervisor on the Psychiatric Unit. Later, she traveled nationwide as a Psychiatric Clinical Consultant, establishing and managing psychiatric units to meet licensure and certification standards. Joan retired in 2003.

Joan and Norb were blessed with five children: Paul (Lee) Kaus, Julie (Duane Withers) Kaus, Wendy (deceased) (Chuck) Wyant, Susan Oppenheim, and Jennifer Kaus. She leaves behind a legacy through her eight grandchildren–David, Sarah, Peter, Kristine, Hannah, Kyle, Annie, and John–and six great-grandchildren: Atticus, Owen, Luke, Dawson, Henry, and Roman.

The youngest daughter of Albert Griswold and Sophie Wojcinski, Joan was predeceased by her only sibling, Ruth Baumgratz.

She dedicated much of her life to her faith community at St. Ambrose Church in Annandale, VA, and enjoyed reading, music, playing piano, theater, and spending time with family and friends. She was an avid fan of the Washington Wizards and local sports teams.

Joan was a model of resilience, strength, and love. While Norb served in Vietnam, she managed their home, worked full-time, and cared for four children while expecting her youngest daughter, Jennifer. She continued on her own until Norb returned home six months later. Joan faced many challenges, including a melanoma diagnosis, the loss of her daughter Wendy, donating a kidney to her daughter Susan, a heart attack, and Norb’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

“My greatest achievements are my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nursing career,” Joan often reflected. She treasured memories of her time abroad in Germany and her home on Woodlark Dr, which hosted countless family celebrations. Joan and Norb’s love for Hilton Head, South Carolina, began in the late 1970s, creating a cherished family tradition there each August.

Joan spent the past few years in an Assisted Living apartment at the Virginian in Fairfax, Va. that she filled with her plants which gave everyone who entered a sense of peace and calm.

Joan’s thoughtfulness and kindness were known to all–she never missed a birthday and made each holiday memorable, not only for her immediate family but nieces and nephews as well. Having lost her mother at twelve, she grew up with deep self-reliance. Her faith was her foundation, and her family turned to her for guidance as a trusted nurse and caregiver.

Joan’s advice for life: “Be forgiving, surround yourself with people you enjoy, and don’t hold grudges. Don’t be sad that I died; be happy that I lived!”

Her life was a testament to strength, grace, and a generous heart that touched everyone around her.

A graveside service for Joan will be held at Arlington National Cemetery.