Joan Chesnut of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, formerly of Charlotte, North Carolina, passed away in hospice care peacefully on December 4, 2025, following a long battle with dementia. Joan was born on June 12, 1930, in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin to John and Sarah (Hughes) Freeman. Joan was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, William (Bill) Chesnut; her sister, Barbara; and daughter, Cynthia Corpening.
Joan was a life-long learner, attending Smith College and later graduating from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Joan left Smith to marry Bill Chesnut, a young former Naval Officer from Georgia and moved to the south, living in Charlotte, Hilton Head, and Greensboro, Georgia. As her children grew older, Joan began teaching high school history for several years in Charlotte. After retiring, Joan moved to Hilton Head, owning and operating a children’s clothing store and a specialty jewelry shop. Later, she moved back to Charlotte, the home she knew best. She never stopped aspiring to make a difference and served for several years on the Board of Directors at Cypress of Charlotte. Joan was an active member at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Charlotte, serving for many years on altar guild.
Joan enjoyed traveling worldwide. Among her favorite places was France, where she and husband Bill spent many summer months. Joan often combined her travels with academic and historical learning, including the Holy Land, Greece, and Turkey. She sometimes combined her love of travel with Bill’s love of steam engine trains in Europe.
Joan loved her family and was proud of her two children, Steve (Karen) and Cynthia; five grandchildren, Jeff (Sara), Michael (Robin), Greg (Anna); and six great-grandchildren Henry, William, Miles, Winston, Clarence, and Grace. She was affectionately known as Mimi to her grandchildren, and GiGi to her great-grandchildren.
We will be holding a private family celebration of her life at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Community Hospice in Jacksonville, Florida
