JoAnne Hewitt Aplet

JoAnne Hewitt Aplet of Greenbrae, California, passed away on Tuesday, May 3, at the age of 91.

She was born on December 20, 1930, in Salem, Oregon, before moving to Seattle for elementary and junior high school and eventually settling in Glendale, California, attending Glendale High, where she developed a cadre of lifelong friends. Majoring in English at the University of Oregon, JoAnne joined the Delta Delta Delta sorority, adding another set of enduring friendships, and served in the local chapter of Mortar Board, experiences she treasured her whole life.

After college, JoAnne returned to Southern California and landed a job as a local writer and editor on the architecture beat at Sunset magazine, a high point of her life but which she left after only a couple of years to scratch her wanderlust. Selected to work in the State Department, she moved to Washington, D.C., but not before meeting her future husband and love of over 66 years, Lowell, who was finishing his tour in the Army.

Following a brief long-distance courtship, she left the State Department to marry Lowell and spend a magical year in San Francisco, before returning to Eugene, where Lowell pursued graduate studies and their two children were born. From there, the new family headed back to Southern California, settling in Pacific Palisades for the next 52 years.

As a young mother, JoAnne was active in her children’s lives, advocating for educational improvement and leading school and youth activity groups, and led the fight to save the Palisades Elementary School building, which was scheduled for demolition after the 1971 earthquake.

An avid volunteer, she led award-winning studies of land use, welfare reform, open space and air quality with the League of Women Voters, and once her children were somewhat self-sufficient, she returned to school herself, obtaining a master’s degree from UCLA’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, with a focus on air quality.

Following her graduate studies, she worked for the Southern California Association of Governments, then as the planning manager for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, leading to a long career as an independent consultant. Her role helping to clean up LA’s air is a legacy we can all be proud of.

In addition to her substantial accomplishments, JoAnne was an avid reader, traveler, theater-goer (she and Lowell had season tickets to the Music Center for most of 50 years!), and admirer of Native American art, purchased on many trips through the American West. In 2016, they moved to Marin County to be closer to family and to watch two of her four beloved grandchildren graduate from high school.

JoAnne is survived by her husband Lowell, sister Marilyn of Glendale, daughter Alison Jones (and son-in-law David) of Corte Madera, son Greg (and daughter-in-law Rhonda) of Arvada, Colorado, and her four grandchildren Sander and Pete Aplet and Jessica and Haiden Jones.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to the Sempervirens Fund or the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles County.