Joan Yingling Dyson

Joan Yingling Dyson passed away peacefully on February 13, 2026, one day shy of her 95th birthday on Valentine’s Day at Greenspring Senior Living in Springfield, Virginia.

Joan was born in Washington, DC, to Louise Cecilia Yingling and Matthew Yingling, in 1931, followed 10 minutes later by her identical twin, Jean. As a twin, they dressed alike, as was the tradition at the time. They even became famous as “Toni Twins” in a contest sponsored by the Toni Company that sold home permanent kits. They were the youngest of 10 children. Joan was the last surviving sibling of her large family.

She grew up in Georgetown in a row house just across the street from Western High School. She attended Holy Trinity School through high school where she learned piano and enjoyed performing on stage soloing and playing duets. She also got a taste of how fun dancing was since her teacher loved to combine music and dance at the recitals.

After graduation she worked at the Potomac Electric Power Company where she met her husband, Melvin Dyson. They were married on August 29, 1953, until Mel’s death in 2013. They bought a home in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1955 and raised three sons and a daughter. They moved to Brookeville, Maryland in 1973.

Joan cherished every moment raising her family. As her daughter, Carolyn, got older, she enjoyed all the dance recitals. She supported the fun with the boys in the boy scouts and baseball, but her passion was dance. As the kids moved out on their own, Joan took tap dance lessons that continued for decades and evolved into a group known as the “Sophisticated Ladies.”

As her youngest kids entered elementary school, Joan went back to work in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as an administrative assistant for 20 years. In retirement, Mel and Joan traveled the U.S. and parts of Europe.

Joan was preceded in death by her daughter, Carolyn, and granddaughter, Columbia. Joan is survived by her three sons and their families: Michael (Lisa) Dyson, and grandchildren Jason, Matthew, and Alexander (Danielle); Brian Dyson; and Craig (Casey) Dyson, and grandchildren Amanda, Brooke (Vincent), and Isabelle; grandchild Holly Vaughan; and great-grandchildren Courtney, Zachary, Cameron, and Rachel; as well as several nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 6304 Lee Chapel Road Burke, VA 22015 on Tuesday, February 24, at 10 am with viewing at 9 am. The service will also be livestreamed on this page the day of the funeral.