Joan Carol Schramm

Joan Carol (MacKinnon) Schramm, 81, passed away peacefully in her home on Hilton Head Island, SC on October 27, 2026.

Joan was born on September 16,1945 in Hartford Connecticut; daughter of the late Hugh Stanley MacKinnon and Lucy Eve Atwater. She graduated from Westfield High School, class of 1963, in Westfield, NJ. She then attended Temple University in Philadelphia, PA where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in American and Russian History in 1967. Throughout her academic years she enjoyed public speaking, drama/theater clubs, and was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority.

While building scenery for a play at one of her theater clubs, she met Robert William Schramm. Upon being teased by him, she promptly painted his face orange. In retaliation, he “sized” her jeans with canvas glue. It was the start of 59 loving years together, despite her frequent threats of feeding him to the alligators. They were married on July 1, 1967 at St. Peters Episcopal Church, Broomall PA.

After college, Joan taught 8th to 12th grade history in Sharon Hill, PA from 1967-1970 and worked at Garden State Machines in Linden, NJ from 1983-84. After moving to Clinton, NJ, she started working at the Clinton Historical Museum first as a volunteer and later as the director of the museum from 1984-88. Upon moving back to Pennsylvania, Joan and Bob founded a Native American/American gift store in Tannersville, PA called Silver Arrow Associates. She worked at Silver Arrow for the rest of her life, traveling to various Native American pow-wows and gun shows all through the East Coast.

A former buckskinning and Revolutionary War reenactor, Joan loved history and museums and made sure to take her grandchildren to historic cities and sites such as Boston, Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Monticello and Pearl Harbor. She was an avid needle crafter who made hundreds of crocheted blankets and hats for veteran and fellow cancer patients. She was very proud of her Scottish heritage and loved listening to her daughter Cheryl play the Highland bagpipes.

Joan was a devout member of St. Lukes Anglican Church in Hilton Head Island where she was a member of the choir, volunteer for the Church Mouse thrift store, and frequent attendant of a Bible study group. In 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer which became metastatic in 2019. That same year, she cofounded a cancer support group on Hilton Head Island.

In addition to her husband Robert, Joan is survived by her three children Karyn (Matt) Michonski, Cheryl Schramm, and Alan Schramm; her five grandchildren Jessica (Ben) Fetterman, Timothy Michonski, Justin Michonski, Christopher Michonski, and Daniel (Allie) Michonski, along with 2 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Nancy Schramm and brother-in-law Danny Puhr, and her brother Robert Mackinnon. She will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved her.

Funeral service and interment will be held on November 7, 2026 at St.Lukes Anglican Church Hilton Head Island South Carolina . Service will be livestreamed.

In lieu of flowers the family requests instead that donations be made to St Lukes Esther Fund Hilton Head South Carolina