Joan Hoffman Flaks | Phila. school teacher, 76

Joan Hoffman Flaks, 76, of Merion Station, a Philadelphia school teacher for 40 years, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease April 14 at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Fla.

Mrs. Flaks taught at several schools in the Philadelphia School District after starting her career there in 1958. For 16 years, until her retirement in 1998, she taught fifth graders at Hamilton School in West Philadelphia. She returned to the school and worked part-time with gifted students until 2001. In the 1980s she supervised student teachers at Hamilton and gave demonstration lessons.

She also taught Jewish culture to students attending Sunday classes at the Jewish Children's School of Philadelphia and was the school's director from 1980 to 1987.

Mrs. Flaks was president of the Merion Civic Association and helped create "Merion Walks" of the neighborhood's history and architecture.

A graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls, she earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education from Temple University. In 1961, she married Joel G. Flaks. They met at a social at the Modern Language Society at the University of Pennsylvania.

She enjoyed cooking, literature, theater, museums, and travel, especially to Italy. She was vacationing in Florida when she died. She was not going to let health issues interfere with her passion for living, her daughter Judith said.

In addition to her husband and daughter, Mrs. Flaks is survived by a daughter, Sarah.

A memorial service will be held at Merion Tribute House this summer.