Internationally published, prize-winning poet Joan Payne Kincaid passed away at her home in Sea Cliff on August 14th, 2023.
Born March 20, 1931 in Northport to Ernest Gardiner Payne and Aldegondes Kennedy Payne, Joan was a proud Long Islander, some of whose ancestors had settled in the area in the early 1600’s.
Joan’s family struggled during the Depression after her father died unexpectedly in 1936. Fortunately, Joan’s outstanding soprano voice won her a Helios Foundation scholarship to Juilliard. She performed in many Manhattan venues and studied with Felix Brentano at the Columbia Opera Workshop. Later, she was awarded a full vocal scholarship to Hofstra College where she met her future husband, Roderick Kincaid. After graduation, Joan performed many leading roles with the Amato Opera Company, and at Town Hall.
Changing direction, in 1985 Joan began submitting poetry to journals and competitions. Hundreds of her poems have been published in important poetry journals, and she hosted the Long island Poetry Collective’s WBUA radio program “The Sounds of Poetry”. Also an accomplished painter, she exhibited extensively on Long Island. Joan was a dedicated activist for human rights, the environment, and social justice.
She was a devoted mother to daughter Leslie, a performer and director, and son Scott, a lighting technician and gaffer in film and television. Joan is survived by her husband, Roderick Kincaid, son Scott Kincaid and partner Ruth Brown and her daughter Nicole Papageorgiou; daughter Leslie Kincaid Burby and husband Joseph Burby, grandsons Henry and Adam Burby, and loyal rescue cat Cordelia Muffin.
A memorial service is planned for later this year.
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