Joan Tisch, One Of First Ladies Of New York Giants, Dies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Joan Tisch, the widow of former Giants co-owner Bob Tisch and a philanthropist, died Thursday morning following a brief illness, the Giants said. She was 90.
After her husband purchased 50 percent of the Giants from the Mara family in 1991, Joan Tisch -- along with Wellington Mara's wife, Ann -- were considered the first ladies of the NFL franchise, of which they were both fervent fans.
"Joan Tisch was a great lady who led an extraordinary life that touched so many people," Giants co-owner John Mara said in a news release Thursday. "She was an outstanding role model for her wonderful family and for all of us who knew her. We will miss her dearly."
Joan Tisch served as a trustee at the Museum of Modern Art, was on the Board of Directors with Citymeals-on-Wheels and was co-chair of the Tisch Center for the Arts at the 92nd Street Y. She also was an early advocate in the fight against AIDS, and she and her husband created the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical School. Joan Tisch also was co-president of the Tisch Foundation, which contributes to a wide range of charitable causes.
A New York City native, Joan Tisch graduated from the University of Michigan in 1948, where she met her future husband of 57 years. Bob Tisch died in 2005.
The Tisches had three children. Their older son, Steve, is now the Giants' chairman and executive vice president. Their younger son, Jonathan, is the team's treasurer. They also had a daughter, Laurie.
She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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The Giants will honor Joan Tisch with a moment of silence during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams, and the players will wear helmet decals and jersey patches with her initials, "JHT."
A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan, followed by shiva from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Loews Regency Hotel.
