Joan Ellen Prince
78, of Green Valley, born May 9, 1935, died December 4, 2013 at La Posada retirement village in Green Valley. She lived with Alzheimer's disease the last few years of her life. Survived by her husband, Ralph and son, Stephen of North Canton, Ohio. Born as Joan Moreland, in Alliance, Ohio, she relocated to Tucson in 1981. She was a medical researcher at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, working on cancer and later AIDS research until she retired in 1996. She was a lover of nature and an avid hiker with the Southern Arizona Hiking Club where she led hikes in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and met her husband on a hike in May 1990. After retirement, she traveled extensively worldwide, including in New Zealand, Bora Bora, Antarctica, Africa, The Svalbard Archipelago (less than 600 miles from the North pole), and in the Americas. She liked traveling to historic places such as Machu Picchu in Peru, The Great Wall of China, Easter Island, Stonehenge in Britain, the pyramids in Egypt, The ruins of the Roman Empire on three continents, many historic churches and other religious edifices worldwide, and the Vatican in Italy. She also liked to travel to places of natural interest such as Mount Everest from both the Tibet and Nepal sides. She swam in the Dead Sea from the Jordan shore. Her favorite places in the USA were Yellowstone National Park, Death Valley NP, Yosemite NP, the Blue Ridge Parkway NP, and the Florida Keys. She most enjoyed, hiking and observing nature on mountains and small islands with her husband. Joan has written 24 books about her travels, as well as the history and cultures of the places she visited. She also wrote Haiku poetry. She forged continuing close friendships with people in Britain, Spain and Argentina she met during her travels. It is still being said that Joan had a wonderfully charming smile. When Joan's physical strength would no longer permit adventure travel, she went on several cruises including the last world cruise of the QE2, before it became a luxury hotel in Dubai, UAE, in the Persian Gulf. Joan and her husband relocated from Tucson, to La Posada in March 2009. Joan requested cremation in writing and her wishes have been honored, and provided by DESERT ROSE HEATHER CREMATION AND BURIAL in Tucson. There will be a 10:00 a.m. Memorial Service at La Posada on Thursday, December 12, 2013.