Joan "Jo" Marcel (Koonce) Cartales Ehrlich passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Seattle, WA, at the age of 74, following a sudden heart attack.

Born on February 24, 1951, in West Frankfort, IL, Joan was the youngest of four children of Maurice "Bud" Favor Koonce (1919-1982) and Mary Marcella (Thornton) Koonce (1921-2003). She grew up in Portland, OR, where she met and married Larry S. Cartales (b. 1950). The couple later settled in Oregon City, OR, where Joan served on the Oregon City Commission from 1978 to 1982 and made history as the city's first woman mayor from 1982 to 1983.

During her marriage with Larry, they had two children: MeLissa "Lissa" (Cartales) Jagodnik (b. 1971) and Vincent L.S. Cartales (b. 1975). Joan also had a child prior to marriage, who was lovingly raised by adoptive parents. Joan was grateful to be reunited with her son Aaron Taylor (b.1968) in 2001.

In 1986, Joan met Eugene "Gene" Ehrlich (1938-2014), and the two married in 1992. Gene became an active parent to Lissa and Vincent, while Joan embraced a role in the lives of his adult children, Patti (Ehrlich) Espe and Cheryl (Ehrlich) Clemenson.

In 2018, Joan moved to Seattle to live with and be cared for by her daughter Lissa and Lissa's partner Starla Muir. Joan spent seven years with them and welcomed Lissa's first grandchild in 2020.

Known for welcoming both people and animals into her life, Joan will be missed by many loved ones, as well as her granddogs Levi and Torri and her cats George and Casey.