Joan Mercer Bitting: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 10, 2009
Deceased Name: Joan Mercer Bitting
Born:1917 - Died:2009
September 16, 1917 - Septenber 2, 2009
Joan Bitting traveled to Los Angeles from Beechhurst, Long Island, her birth place, at the age of ten with her mother, Beryl Mercer, a stage and screen actress who had important roles in fifty-two films, including "All Quiet On The Western Front." They lived in Hollywood first. Joan got her California driver's license at the age of 13, because she needed to drive her mother who was too short to operate the early automobiles. Joan and her mother moved to Pacific Palisades in 1932. She attended University High School and Woodbury College.
She met the love of her life, Richard Bitting in 1937 at Pacific Palisades Methodist Church youth group. Despite early predictions that the marriage wouldn't last, they were together for 72 years. They had two sons, Dick and Bill. Dick predeceased Joan in 1989.
Starting in the World War II years and into the 1950's, Joan was the manager of the UCLA Bookstore, where among her many duties she assisted fledgling basketball coach John Wooden and football coach Henry R. "Red" Sanders with their players academic book needs. After working for the government think tank Rand Corporation in Santa Monica as a research librarian, Joan assisted doctors at UCLA's Child Amputee Clinic in Westwood and, with son Bill, helped found the Milo Brooks Foundation.
She was always a voracious reader.
A lifetime Episcopalian, Joan and husband Dick became founding members of St. Matthew's Church, Pacific Palisades, where Joan sang in the choir and served on many committees during the early formation of the church. She eventually became secretary to Kenneth W. Cary, first rector of St. Matthew's church. Her office was located in the home the Cary family occupied on Via de la Paz. Husband Dick was a member of the Vestry and chaired the committee that started St. Matthew's Parish School.
In 1976 Joan and Dick sold the family home on Chautauqua and moved to Westlake Village, California, where they resided at the time of her death. She was a volunteer at Westlake Hospital for 12 years. She had many friends at the hospital and the Westlake Yacht Club. A devoted member of St. Patricks's Episcopal Church where she and Dick faithfully attended services, she served as an usher at 8 am services along with her husband.
She is survived by her husband Richard, son Bill, his wife Kathleen of Pacific Palisades, granddaughter Michelle Bitting Abrams of Pacific Palisades and grandson John Pell Bitting of Seattle, Washington; her son Dick's wife Marietta Bitting of Poteau, Oklahoma, grandchildren Cece Bitting Carter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Debbie Bitting Powell of Memphis, Tennessee, Mike Bitting of Houston, Texas and nine great grandchildren.
Memorial Service will be held at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Thousand Oaks, Saturday, September 12 at 11 am. Her ashes will be interned in the columbarium at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades.
Copyright, 2009, Ventura County Star
Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 10, 2009
Deceased Name: Joan Mercer Bitting
Born:1917 - Died:2009
September 16, 1917 - Septenber 2, 2009
Joan Bitting traveled to Los Angeles from Beechhurst, Long Island, her birth place, at the age of ten with her mother, Beryl Mercer, a stage and screen actress who had important roles in fifty-two films, including "All Quiet On The Western Front." They lived in Hollywood first. Joan got her California driver's license at the age of 13, because she needed to drive her mother who was too short to operate the early automobiles. Joan and her mother moved to Pacific Palisades in 1932. She attended University High School and Woodbury College.
She met the love of her life, Richard Bitting in 1937 at Pacific Palisades Methodist Church youth group. Despite early predictions that the marriage wouldn't last, they were together for 72 years. They had two sons, Dick and Bill. Dick predeceased Joan in 1989.
Starting in the World War II years and into the 1950's, Joan was the manager of the UCLA Bookstore, where among her many duties she assisted fledgling basketball coach John Wooden and football coach Henry R. "Red" Sanders with their players academic book needs. After working for the government think tank Rand Corporation in Santa Monica as a research librarian, Joan assisted doctors at UCLA's Child Amputee Clinic in Westwood and, with son Bill, helped found the Milo Brooks Foundation.
She was always a voracious reader.
A lifetime Episcopalian, Joan and husband Dick became founding members of St. Matthew's Church, Pacific Palisades, where Joan sang in the choir and served on many committees during the early formation of the church. She eventually became secretary to Kenneth W. Cary, first rector of St. Matthew's church. Her office was located in the home the Cary family occupied on Via de la Paz. Husband Dick was a member of the Vestry and chaired the committee that started St. Matthew's Parish School.
In 1976 Joan and Dick sold the family home on Chautauqua and moved to Westlake Village, California, where they resided at the time of her death. She was a volunteer at Westlake Hospital for 12 years. She had many friends at the hospital and the Westlake Yacht Club. A devoted member of St. Patricks's Episcopal Church where she and Dick faithfully attended services, she served as an usher at 8 am services along with her husband.
She is survived by her husband Richard, son Bill, his wife Kathleen of Pacific Palisades, granddaughter Michelle Bitting Abrams of Pacific Palisades and grandson John Pell Bitting of Seattle, Washington; her son Dick's wife Marietta Bitting of Poteau, Oklahoma, grandchildren Cece Bitting Carter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Debbie Bitting Powell of Memphis, Tennessee, Mike Bitting of Houston, Texas and nine great grandchildren.
Memorial Service will be held at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Thousand Oaks, Saturday, September 12 at 11 am. Her ashes will be interned in the columbarium at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades.
Copyright, 2009, Ventura County Star
Joan Mercer Bitting: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice
Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 10, 2009
Deceased Name: Joan Mercer Bitting
Born:1917 - Died:2009
September 16, 1917 - Septenber 2, 2009
Joan Bitting traveled to Los Angeles from Beechhurst, Long Island, her birth place, at the age of ten with her mother, Beryl Mercer, a stage and screen actress who had important roles in fifty-two films, including "All Quiet On The Western Front." They lived in Hollywood first. Joan got her California driver's license at the age of 13, because she needed to drive her mother who was too short to operate the early automobiles. Joan and her mother moved to Pacific Palisades in 1932. She attended University High School and Woodbury College.
She met the love of her life, Richard Bitting in 1937 at Pacific Palisades Methodist Church youth group. Despite early predictions that the marriage wouldn't last, they were together for 72 years. They had two sons, Dick and Bill. Dick predeceased Joan in 1989.
Starting in the World War II years and into the 1950's, Joan was the manager of the UCLA Bookstore, where among her many duties she assisted fledgling basketball coach John Wooden and football coach Henry R. "Red" Sanders with their players academic book needs. After working for the government think tank Rand Corporation in Santa Monica as a research librarian, Joan assisted doctors at UCLA's Child Amputee Clinic in Westwood and, with son Bill, helped found the Milo Brooks Foundation.
She was always a voracious reader.
A lifetime Episcopalian, Joan and husband Dick became founding members of St. Matthew's Church, Pacific Palisades, where Joan sang in the choir and served on many committees during the early formation of the church. She eventually became secretary to Kenneth W. Cary, first rector of St. Matthew's church. Her office was located in the home the Cary family occupied on Via de la Paz. Husband Dick was a member of the Vestry and chaired the committee that started St. Matthew's Parish School.
In 1976 Joan and Dick sold the family home on Chautauqua and moved to Westlake Village, California, where they resided at the time of her death. She was a volunteer at Westlake Hospital for 12 years. She had many friends at the hospital and the Westlake Yacht Club. A devoted member of St. Patricks's Episcopal Church where she and Dick faithfully attended services, she served as an usher at 8 am services along with her husband.
She is survived by her husband Richard, son Bill, his wife Kathleen of Pacific Palisades, granddaughter Michelle Bitting Abrams of Pacific Palisades and grandson John Pell Bitting of Seattle, Washington; her son Dick's wife Marietta Bitting of Poteau, Oklahoma, grandchildren Cece Bitting Carter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Debbie Bitting Powell of Memphis, Tennessee, Mike Bitting of Houston, Texas and nine great grandchildren.
Memorial Service will be held at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Thousand Oaks, Saturday, September 12 at 11 am. Her ashes will be interned in the columbarium at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades.
Copyright, 2009, Ventura County Star
Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 10, 2009
Deceased Name: Joan Mercer Bitting
Born:1917 - Died:2009
September 16, 1917 - Septenber 2, 2009
Joan Bitting traveled to Los Angeles from Beechhurst, Long Island, her birth place, at the age of ten with her mother, Beryl Mercer, a stage and screen actress who had important roles in fifty-two films, including "All Quiet On The Western Front." They lived in Hollywood first. Joan got her California driver's license at the age of 13, because she needed to drive her mother who was too short to operate the early automobiles. Joan and her mother moved to Pacific Palisades in 1932. She attended University High School and Woodbury College.
She met the love of her life, Richard Bitting in 1937 at Pacific Palisades Methodist Church youth group. Despite early predictions that the marriage wouldn't last, they were together for 72 years. They had two sons, Dick and Bill. Dick predeceased Joan in 1989.
Starting in the World War II years and into the 1950's, Joan was the manager of the UCLA Bookstore, where among her many duties she assisted fledgling basketball coach John Wooden and football coach Henry R. "Red" Sanders with their players academic book needs. After working for the government think tank Rand Corporation in Santa Monica as a research librarian, Joan assisted doctors at UCLA's Child Amputee Clinic in Westwood and, with son Bill, helped found the Milo Brooks Foundation.
She was always a voracious reader.
A lifetime Episcopalian, Joan and husband Dick became founding members of St. Matthew's Church, Pacific Palisades, where Joan sang in the choir and served on many committees during the early formation of the church. She eventually became secretary to Kenneth W. Cary, first rector of St. Matthew's church. Her office was located in the home the Cary family occupied on Via de la Paz. Husband Dick was a member of the Vestry and chaired the committee that started St. Matthew's Parish School.
In 1976 Joan and Dick sold the family home on Chautauqua and moved to Westlake Village, California, where they resided at the time of her death. She was a volunteer at Westlake Hospital for 12 years. She had many friends at the hospital and the Westlake Yacht Club. A devoted member of St. Patricks's Episcopal Church where she and Dick faithfully attended services, she served as an usher at 8 am services along with her husband.
She is survived by her husband Richard, son Bill, his wife Kathleen of Pacific Palisades, granddaughter Michelle Bitting Abrams of Pacific Palisades and grandson John Pell Bitting of Seattle, Washington; her son Dick's wife Marietta Bitting of Poteau, Oklahoma, grandchildren Cece Bitting Carter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Debbie Bitting Powell of Memphis, Tennessee, Mike Bitting of Houston, Texas and nine great grandchildren.
Memorial Service will be held at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Thousand Oaks, Saturday, September 12 at 11 am. Her ashes will be interned in the columbarium at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Pacific Palisades.
Copyright, 2009, Ventura County Star
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