Roberts, Joanne (nee John Roberts) 73, of St. Paul, MN, died June 19, 2024, of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome. She served as a palliative care hospitalist, then Chief Medical Officer of Providence Regional Medical Center before her retirement as Chief Value Officer of the Providence system in Everett, WA. John was born in Nashville, TN, and grew up in Ferguson, MO. He attended Western Nebraska Community College and the University of Missouri before beginning working life as a medical-science reporter at the Minneapolis Star. In 1981 he entered the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and did a residency in internal medicine at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. In the mid-'90s, John's struggle with gender dysphoria became unbearable, and he began his transition to Joanne. The transition, Joanne often said, erased a lifetime of shame and secrecy and allowed her to become more fully focused on others. Joanne's passion for biking, love of reading, and devotion to her daughters remained unwavering, through her transition and later as her illness progressed. Joanne's friends and family will remember her for her sense of humor and ability to laugh, especially at herself. Joanne donated her body to the U of M School of Medicine, along with a letter to students, wishing them "as rich a life as I had." Joanne is survived by daughter, Alex Roberts (Gavin Wray); daughter, Zoë Roberts; granddaughter, Olivia Wray; and former wife, Claire Beiser. Plans for a memorial service in Everett are underway. Memorials may be sent to the Joanne Roberts MD Memorial Fund, Western Nebraska Community College Foundation, Scottsbluff, NE. The family wishes to thank end-of-life doula Janet Brown and the oncology and palliative caregivers at Regions Hospital.

Published on June 30, 2024