Obituary of Joan Kay Adrian

Joan Kay (McCarter) Adrian, 91, of Frankfort, died Sunday, July 16, 2023, after complications from a fall.

She was born December 14, 1931 in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Roy and Ruth (Jones) McCarter. After divorcing, Ruth later married Tom Hotchkiss of Richmond, Virginia who became Joan’s beloved step-father. Joan graduated from Nurnberg (Germany) High School in 1948 and married her husband Donn Roy Adrian of 64 years in 1951. After his U.S. Army retirement, they settled in Frankfort, Kentucky in 1969.

Joan was a medical assistant for various Frankfort doctors’ offices before opening her own small electrolysis business in 1978 which she ran until she retired in 2005. Joan was active in the Overseas Brats organization after having spent most of her teenage and young adult life either being a child of a military step-father or being married to a career U.S. Army Officer.

Joan is survived by her daughters, Donna Adrian Wildt (Jerry) and Christine Adrian, both of Frankfort; and Lynn Adrian, of San Francisco, California; grandchildren, Paul Wildt (Luciana Barbosa), San Francisco; Matthew Wildt, Charleston, South Carolina; Eric Caudle (Nicole Webber), Frankfort; and Alex Hsing, San Francisco; and great-grandchildren, Austin and Bailey Caudle, Frankfort.

Joan is also survived by her sisters-in-law Arlene Adrian, Pittsburgh, PA, and Mata Adrian Curran (Gary), Palmerton, PA. Also surviving are nephews, Jon Reinstine, Frank Reinstine Jr., Shaun Adrian, Christopher Adrian, Patrick Curran and their families.

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date through Clark Legacy Center, Frankfort.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to any U.S. veterans charity of your choice or to the (Frankfort) Capital City Museum of which she was an avid supporter.