Joan Margaret (Harlow) Morgan

Joan Margaret Harlow Morgan, 89, of North East, MD, passed away peacefully on the 27th of December 2024 at Calvert Manor (Autumn Lake).  Her family is thankful for the helpful caregivers and nurses who provided dedicated care for her over the years.  Their patience, fortitude and guidance were of immense help to the family.  A special thank you to Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Mt. Sinai Hospital for their wonderful nurses and doctors.

Joan was the daughter of the late James Nicholas and Agatina Conti Harlow.  Born July 16, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY, she spent her early years in Bellrose on Long Island where she met her husband, the late Charles Edward Morgan.  The couple later relocated to Brookside, Delaware for 4 years, before moving to an Elk Neck 62-acre farm in Cecil County MD.  She was a graduate of Dominican Commercial High School in Jamaica, Queens, New York City.  As an adult she attended Cecil College and then Towson State where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree.  Later she followed her passion in education and received her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson State while raising four children.

From her first job after high school as a Dictaphone operator for Woolworth 5 & 10 Mercantile in New York City, Joan’s career and life were dedicated to advocating for the rights of women and children to be safe, healthy, and educated. Over the years, she held various roles, including teacher at North East Elementary School and Wilmington Montessori School, social worker in Delaware, mental health counselor in Cecil County, and census worker.  She especially cherished her time at Delaware Home Start, where she visited and taught preschoolers in their homes, often forming lifelong friendships.

In the 1970s, Joan was an active member of the local PTA and the Cecil County Action Council (CCAC), working to reduce class sizes in Cecil County and improve the student-to-teacher ratio. She continued her commitment to social reform by volunteering at the Women’s Correctional Institute in Wilmington and with Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused (CASA). Joan was also instrumental in the formation of Meeting Ground (https://meetingground.org/), particularly the Wayfarers House, which provides transitional housing for single women and families. She volunteered there for seven years in the 1980s. In later years, Joan and Charles volunteered for Upper Bay Counseling’s Sunrise Program and became foster parents, welcoming many transitional children into their home and loving them unconditionally.

Beyond her advocacy work Joan loved working with her hands, gardening and was gifted in creating works of art, whether watercolor or acrylic paintings, pastels or photography.  Her art has won numerous awards and was featured at Cecil County Fair, Cecil College, Cecil County Arts Council and Cecil Whig.  Later in life she became a self-taught herbalist, founded and owned the Doe Run Herbal Farm where she grew and sold herbs, offering tours and teaching others herbal culinary and medicinal properties.  After retiring she started Instar, a jewelry business making semi-precious stone earrings and necklace works of art.

She is survived by her loving son, Michael James Morgan of North East, MD (Patricia Morgan); daughters, Jaye Morgan Tower of Burlington, CT (Steven Tower), Tina Morgan Ross of West Chester, PA (Wayne Ross), and Reta Morgan Reynolds of Perryville, MD (Frank Reynolds); her brother James Matthew Harlow of Templeton, CA (Carol Harlow); as well as her beloved  grandchildren, Jason Morgan, Johnathan and Steven Ross, Zachary and Ryan Tower, Morgan and Rachel Reynolds, and great grandchild Magnolia Morgan.

Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, February 22nd, 11:30am, at the Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., Perryville MD.  Visitation for family and friends will be held Saturday, February 22nd, 10am-11:30am, at the funeral home.  Pastor John Schaeffer of St. Mary Anne’s Episcopal Church of North East will officiate. Interment will be in the North East Methodist Cemetery, North East, MD, with family and invited friends.

Joan’s lifelong service to others and her artistic talent have touched and enriched countless lives, and her impact will continue to resonate for years to come.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations may be made to Wayfarer House, in care of, and sent to Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A. P. O. Box 766, Perryville, MD 21903-0766.