September 23, 1932 – September 21, 2025

Joan Manley Houlton, a pioneering publishing executive, and passionate community leader, died peacefully in Keystone on August 21, at the age of 92.
Born September 23, 1932, in Cambria, California to Della and Carl Daniels, Joan was the eldest of five children in a warm, outdoorsy family. She grew up in Carmel, California, surrounded by love, laughter, and a sense of possibility that carried her throughout her life.
She graduated from Carmel High School in 1950 and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1954 with a degree in English.In 1954, she set out for New York City, determined to make her way in publishing. Starting as a secretary at Doubleday, she moved to Time Inc. in 1960 and rose quickly. By 1970 she became the first woman in Time Inc.’s history to be named publisher, in 1971 its first female vice president, and later a group vice president overseeing a $215 million division that included Time-Life Books, Little, Brown & Company, and international publishing ventures. By the late 1970s, she was directing one of the ten largest publishing operations in the industry.
Often called a trailblazer, Joan preferred the humbler title of “Yankee peddler,” saying that selling books by mail carried the same honor as the peddlers who once stood behind their goods with integrity. Under her leadership, one in ten American families purchased a Time-Life book, and she spearheaded its global reach into more than two dozen languages.
She was named Direct Marketer of the Year in 1974, awarded honorary doctorates from Babson College and the University of New Haven, inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame in 1995, and served as one of Time Inc.’s few women directors during her tenure. In the Fall of 1976 Joan flew to Plains, GA at the request of President-elect Jimmy Carter to discuss the Secretary of Commerce position in his cabinet. Despite the accolades, Joan often shrugged off her achievements as “a great accident of timing.”
Joan retired from Time Inc. to Keystone Colorado in 1984 where she renewed her lifelong passion for travel, skiing and served as a director on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. There she met Bill Houlton and married in 1991. She cherished the mountains, skiing, a glass of fine wine and keen conversation. Bridge and Scrabble opponents soon discovered that her mix of humor, wisdom, and humility were disarming. Ever a generous hostess, visitors to their home ‘Bear Max’ were advised by an embroidered pillow that “guests of guests may not bring guests.”
In 1999 Joan fell in love with New Zealand and built two houses in Queenstown that they enjoyed as a second home and shared with many friends and family. In Colorado, Joan continued her lifelong passion for education and the arts. She was a generous supporter of the Keystone Science School, Summit Medical Foundation and Flight for Life, National Repertory Orchestra, and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. She was a founder of Summit County’s Snake River Chamber Music Festival, believing in music’s power to enrich and connect communities.
Joan had no children of her own. She adored her nieces, nephews, Houlton stepchildren and their families. She took great joy in supporting their journeys, travelling with them throughout Europe, and New Zealand. She donated to her Daniels family a large condominium in Kirkwood, California to provide a place to gather, learn to ski, and enjoy the sport.
She is survived by her siblings, and her beloved nieces and nephews, including Kelly (Gates) Lloyd of Dillon. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Bill.
Joan will be remembered for her pioneering spirit, her deep generosity, and her ability to lead with wit, strength and kindness. Her legacy lives on in the institutions she strengthened, the books that found their way into homes around the world, and the countless people she mentored and loved.
A celebration of Joan’s life will take place at her home from 3pm – 6pm on October 11th 2025.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Keystone Science School or the National Repertory Orchestra, two organizations especially close to her heart.