Joan Marie Haig

Oct 18, 1946 -

Jul 7, 2026

Joan Marie Haig passed away peacefully on July 7, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska, surrounded by loving family. She was 79 years young. Joan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Oct. 18, 1946, to Emma Stevenson Haig and Vahram Joseph Haig. Joan's family moved to Baldwin on Long Island, where she graduated from Baldwin High School in 1964.

She attended NYU Oneonta, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. She took a fellowship at Kansas State University where she earned a master's degree in mathematics, graduating in 1970. Joan moved to Mohegan Community College in Connecticut where she discovered developmental education, a lifelong calling that allowed her to reach out to students who needed extra help.

In 1979, Joan drove from Connecticut to Seattle, Wash., where she took a job in Nome, Alaska, with Kawerak Inc., running the Eskimo Teacher Education Program. In 1983, she took a job as the Dean of Developmental Education/Learning Resources Department with Anchorage Community College. Joan joined the University of Alaska Anchorage math department in 1988. She finished her doctorate from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. She taught continuously for over 50 years, 42 of those years teaching math at UAA, until she retired in 2025 as Professor Emerita.

Joan lived with passion and grace rooted in her Catholic faith. She was deeply proud of her Armenian heritage. Her immutable optimism contagiously inspired everyone around her to transform doubt into determination. Activities she enjoyed with Lee, her husband of 43 years, included canoeing, camping and traveling the world. She was a bright beacon of hope and joy to her children and community.

Joan is survived by her husband, Leland; daughter, Jessica; and son, James. A funeral mass is scheduled for 1 p.m., on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. A celebration of life will be held at 6:30 p.m., on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the UAA Fine Arts Building.