Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

Joan Ivers Gantzel, Class of 1960

She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Steen Gantzel, her daughter Katie Waldeck, her step-daughter Amy Godfrey, her sister Barbara Ivers Stevenson, also a Hamden Hall alumna, Class of 1963, and six grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son. Neil Gantzel.

Joan was born in New Haven and attended Hamden Hall from kindergarten through 12th grade. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Liberal Arts. She did her graduate studies at Yale University for a period of time as she contemplated different career options. She decided to spend a winter in Aspen and worked for a law firm who offered their employees free ski lessons. Joan fell in love with Skeen, her ski instructor and proprietor of the Christiana Lodge. They married in 1968. Together they ran the Christiana Lodge for the next thirty years.

Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the Gantzel family. To read Joan's obituary, please click here.
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Hamden Hall Country Day School

About Us

Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.