Joan Welpott Gerrard , July 13, 1931 — April 29, 2018

Joan Welpott Gerrard, born July 13, 1931 in St. Louis, MO to Edna (nee Meinert) Perkins, she passed away April 29, 2018 in Park Ridge. Joan will be remembered as a bright, shining light in the world of dance though her teachings to generations of students, mentoring to countless teachers, and as a prolific choreographer; creating hundreds of original routines. She started at an early age dancing and modeling performing on stages, clubs and TV but it was her ability to share and teach that led her to eventually found Dance–Plus productions.

Her positive spirit was contagious with ability to reach people in a deep and positive way. While strong and independent, love of family and friends were central to her being putting other first before herself. Joan is survived by her children, Tim (Bobbie) Welpott and Vickie Moore; her grandchildren, Chris, Katie, David, Grant, and Kyle; her great-grandchild, Easton; and her brother, Bob Perkins.

She was preceded in death by her sons, Dan Phillips and William Welpott IV; her brother, Don Perkins; and her husbands, William Welpott III and William Gerrard. A celebration of Joan’s life will be held Saturday, May 19, 2018 at 12 noon at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 149 W Main St (Lake-Cook Rd) Barrington, with visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Barrington. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Hip Hop ConnXion.

Hip Hop ConnXion is a non-for-profit 501(c)3 professional dance company established in March, 1999 for the purposes of inspiring our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow, hence the mission statement, “Our Future Is Here Today”. Performances are primarily geared towards youth outreach programs, charity events and special promotional events. The Hip Hop ConnXion continues to be a platform where they can make a difference for youths around the world with their positive message through dance.

Credit card donations can be made via the following link: www. paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr? cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=KG9WNZWVBR4YY Check donations can be mailed to: Hip Hop ConnXion PO Box 4811 Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 Website: www.

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