Remembering Mary Joy Quinn

By Lisa Nerenberg, Executive Director, CEJC

I can’t think of anyone who's contributed more to protecting the rights of older adults than Mary Joy Quinn, who passed away on January 23. She was a pioneer in elder abuse prevention, guardianship, and undue influence, as well as a dear friend and mentor to many, myself included. 

Mary Joy was hired by San Francisco’s Superior Court as one of the first probate court investigators in the state. She built a multidisciplinary investigative team, authored a comprehensive and widely replicated guide for conservators, and instituted myriad innovations, including mediation and court monitoring programs. She wrote seminal books on elder abuse and guardianship and myriad articles, and was a frequent presenter at professional forums. She led pioneering research on undue influence, which led to  modernizing California’s statutory definition.  

I had the honor of working with Mary Joy on several projects and through her, got to know her fellow instigator and innovator, Judge Isabella Horton Grant, another luminary in family and probate law. Following Judge Grant's death in 2011, Mary Joy worked with the National College of Probate Judges to establish the “Isabella,” an award for excellence by leaders in probate law and practice. Shortly before her death, Mary Joy learned that she was selected as the 2024 recipient of the award.

Mary Joy will be remembered by many for her professional achievements and personal grace. Generations of court investigators will remember her for her leadership and guidance. Members of the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging and the National College of Probate Judges will remember her bringing her nurse’s common sense and sensibilities to the legal community. Friends and family remember their travels together and cozy conversations in favorite haunts. National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse members remember an evening of Chinese take-out in her San Francisco home. For longtime members of San Francisco's multidisciplinary elder abuse team, she demystified the courts and for members of the City's Bioethics Forum,  she helped us understand where ethics meets the law.

Mary Joy was also a good friend to the California Elder Justice Coalition. After she retired from the court, she continued her groundbreaking work on undue influence with us, and many fruits of those labors can be found on our website. Earlier this month, CEJC was awarded a grant from the Judicial Council of California to study conservatorship in California. Mary Joy cheered us on as we assembled a team of eminent partners that includes Erica Wood, Naomi Karp, Pam Teaster, Bonnie Olsen, and Lori Mars. She planned to serve as an advisor on the study. Although we’ll deeply miss having her with us in real time, her spirit and inspiration will clearly guide our work.

How lucky I was to be at the table with these two remarkable women, Judge Grant and Mary Joy