Joan Ellen Lappin

Born in 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio, Joan E. Lappin was a trailblazer on Wall Street, devoted mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister. She mainly grew up in Brooklyn before attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at the age of 16, where she was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship. After graduating at 19, she moved to Manhattan where she earned her M.B.A. in Financial Accounting from the NYU Graduate School of Business and became a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Joan was a passionate supporter of women’s rights. She broke down barriers to have a long and storied career as a leading woman on Wall Street. Joan founded Gramercy Capital Management in 1986 and the firm was ranked #1 in the Nelson’s Directory of Registered Investment Advisors just five years later. She successfully managed portfolios for major American corporations and high-net-worth individuals and was the subject of feature stories in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and USA Today. In 1992, BusinessWeek magazine included her among its 50 Top Women in Business. She was often a guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox, and PBS and wrote for Forbes for a decade. In recent years, she wrote a regular column in the Sarasota Herald Tribune sharing her unique insights into evolving investment trends.

Joan had an incredible intellect and ability to analyze information, whether reading stock charts or listening to presentations. She was known to drift off in meetings with world leaders, only to suddenly ask the most pointed and insightful questions of the day. Joan was stylish, independent, fiercely loyal and put a high value on honesty and straight talk, even when that made for some tough conversations.

She married Jack Lappin in 1972 and they had two children, of whom she was very proud. She often told her kids that if they worked hard, they could accomplish anything that they set their minds to. Joan and Jack divorced in 1989.

Sailing and caring for her boats was more than a hobby; it was a true passion that brought her great joy. Joan started her own sailing school, Sail Long Island, and was a Captain with a 100-ton U.S.C.G. Master Mariner’s license. She was active in the Sarasota Coast Guard Auxiliary and was a past member of the New York Yacht Club, the 4th member of the Manhattan Yacht Club, and current member of Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island.

A talented amateur photographer, Joan loved spending time in her darkroom with her kids before the advent of digital photography. She was constantly snapping pictures, much to her children’s chagrin; “no fake-o smiles” was a frequent refrain. She had photographs displayed in multiple exhibits. Joan was also a voracious traveler who explored the world and was proud to have visited all 50 states. And she had a profound and deep love of music, attending myriad Broadway shows and concerts – classical, opera, and her favorite, jazz. Culture was key, and she loved taking her children and grandchildren to New York’s premier museums, especially the Museum of Natural History. Her Jewish heritage was important to her as well, and she was an active member of Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota.

Joan was predeceased by her parents, Jack Berger and Eleanore Berger Shallant, and her brothers: Edwyn Berger and Sheldon Berger. She is survived by her two children, Jessica Lappin and Joshua Lappin; her son-in-law Andrew Wuertele and daughter-in-law, Liz Safian Lappin; and her three grandchildren: Lucas Wuertele, Miles Wuertele and Sabrina Lappin; all from New York City