Joan Falquet Dornbusch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 14, 1932, to Marguerite Cummings Falquet and Louis Alexander Falquet. She died on January 21, 2026, at 6:44 PM. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Clyde Henry Dornbusch.

Survivors include her daughter, Paula Gordon (Malcolm) of Columbia; her son, Neal Dornbusch (Deborah) of Lexington, Kentucky, her grandchildren, Alex Dornbusch (Aleja) of Lexington, Kentucky, Katie Dornbusch Turkington (Daniel) of Lexington, Kentucky, Richlee Gordon of Columbia, and Nicole Gordon Tada (Andrew) of San Francisco, California. She also has three great grandchildren, Esmee Tada, Keaton Tada, and Noah Turkington.

Mrs. Dornbusch grew up in Cincinnati and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from DePauw University with a major in English. She later earned her Master of Arts from Miami University Ohio. Mrs. Dornbusch was a former adjunct professor at Ohio Northern University in the departments of English and Speech. She also tutored liberal arts, pharmacy, engineering, business, and law students in writing and speech at the university's Communication Arts Center. Mrs. Dornbusch was active in community and university affairs in Ada, Ohio, serving as president of several organizations, including Faculty Wives and the Ada branch of the American Association of University Women.

In Columbia, she did volunteer work at Forest Lake Elementary School, Richland County Library, Thomas Cooper Library, and Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community. Her hobbies included traveling throughout the United States and the world, reading, knitting, and physical exercise. She adored her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, as well as her dogs and grand dogs.

A private graveside and green burial will be held at Greenhaven Preserve in Eastover, South Carolina. A celebration of life will be held later in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Memorials may be sent to the Dornbusch Oliver Scholarship at Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main Street, Ada, Ohio 45810 or the Dornbusch Hendricks Endowment at Cloverdale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238.