Joan Antonette (Codina) Lundgard

Joan Codina Lundgard of Los Gatos, CA passed away on August 29, 2021 at the age of 91 while at the Saratoga Retirement Community Skilled Nursing Center. She was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 6, 1930, the youngest of six daughters of Peter and Madeleine Codina.

As a very young child, Joan lived a year in Spain before the family moved to Packanack Lake, New Jersey. Through elementary and high school Joan attended boarding schools in New York, Washington DC, and New Jersey where her father operated a successful cork importing and manufacturing business. She later attended Rockford College in Illinois, graduating in 1951 with a major in English and minor in Spanish. She spent summers during college teaching swimming at a youth camp in Bear Mountain, NY and after college lived with a family in Madrid for the summer while enrolled in the Experiment in International Living program.

At Rockford College Joan met Folke G. Lundgard and they were married in 1951 in New Jersey by her brother-in-law, the Rev. Sanford Cutler. The couple lived in Rockford where Folke worked and their two sons, Richard and Robert, were born. In 1960 the family relocated to Los Gatos, California. Joan then returned to school and in 1967 was awarded an MS degree in Library Science from San Jose State University. As a librarian she had a 31-year career at Bellarmine College Preparatory where she was instrumental in developing an exemplary library and media center and successfully obtaining government grants to fund library improvements. She was well known for her friendship, generosity, professionalism and dedication in working with students, teachers, and library volunteers. In honor of her service and in recognition as the first woman faculty member at Bellarmine, Joan attended a dedication in 2021 of a library conference room named in her honor. For her 90th birthday family members and friends from across the country attended a celebration at her home.

Joan was a member of American Library Association, California Media Library Educators Association, California Reading Association, and Los Gatos Friends of the Library. She was an avid reader and was a member of two book clubs for many years. She also loved quilting, gourmet cooking, and gardening. Joan is survived by her sons and four grandsons. At her request, in her memory, please give flowers and a book to someone you love.

Published in Los Gatan · August 14, 2024