Joan Rose Kavanaugh O’Halloran grew up in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and moved to suburban-Detroit in the early 1960s with her first husband, the late Kenneth Kavanaugh. They had three children Karen, Gary (Therese), and Scott (Bridget). Joan is the proud grandmother of five beautiful women, Katie, Erin, Megan, Elizabeth, and Anna.

Ken and Joan were introduced to the metropolitan Irish community when they met Kathleen and Tom O’Halloran at their iconic Detroit institution, the Tipperary Pub. Many years later, Joan and Tom married. Joan is an enthusiast of all things Irish and an avid supporter of the Irish community. She has helped plan and host numerous events including the Children for Northern Ireland Project, the 50th St. Patrick’s Day Parade dinner dance, the Pallottine dinner dance, the UIS fundraisers, and the annual Motor City Irish Fest.

Joan is a member of the LAOH Rose Kennedy Division and President of the Irish Bar Owners Association. To honor her passion and commitment, Joan was recognized as the 2013 Hibernian Woman of the Year and the 2014 Pallottine Woman of the Year. One of her greatest joys was throwing out the first pitch at the 2021 Detroit Tiger game honoring the Irish community and Miguel Cabrera for his 500 homeruns.

In 2022, Joan’s beloved husband Tom passed but she continues to keep him close by honoring his request that she “never let the music die.”