Window and door manufacturer Pella Corp. announced the passing of the company’s Chair, Emerita Mary Joan Kuyper Farver. She was 97 years old, and passed peacefully at her home in Pella, Iowa with her family.
Farver was the daughter of Peter and Lucille Kuyper, who found Pella Corporation—then known as the Rolscreen Company—in 1925. Joan and her husband, the late Paul Farver, made Pella their home for many years. When her brother and the company’s president and CEO, Stu Kuyper, died unexpectedly in 1980, Joan guided the company as it transitioned from family leadership to professional management leadership.
“Joan was an inspiration to all who knew her, and she was well-known as Pella Corporation’s ‘First Lady.’ She cared deeply about her family, this company, and the communities in which we employ people,” said Tim Yaggi, president and CEO of Pella Corp.
“Joan sincerely cared about people and often took the time to write personal notes or to visit with team members because she took an active interest in others. She was a quiet leader whose philanthropic contributions have made a lasting impact on the community of Pella, Iowa, and many other communities and causes that will leave a lasting legacy for future generations,” added Yaggi.
A website has been created in her memory, and more than 7,000 employees of Pella are honoring Joan with moments of silence, prayers and memorial lapel pins adorned with her favorite flower: a yellow rose.
