Joan Barnhill Reveyoso, beloved wife of Steven Reveyoso, passed away on Tuesday evening, September 15, 2026.
Joan was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1950 to Muriel and Dr. George T. Barnhill. She attended the Tatnall School in Wilmington, where her mother taught, and, later, Temple University in Philadelphia. There, she majored in music and sang in the Temple University Choirs under its Director of Choruses, Robert E. Page. During her career, Joan sang and recorded under such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Michael Gielen, Zubin Mehta, Eugene Ormandy and William Steinberg. In September, 1970, she, along with the Chorus, sang the United States Premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s “Utrenja, The Entombment of Christ” with vocal soloists and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. These performances were followed by the work’s premiere recording for the RCA label. The following year, in September, 1971, these forces gave the first performances of the “The Lovers” by Samuel Barber. As a member of the Temple University Choirs, Joan also participated in the opening performances of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the same month and year.
A Lyric Soprano, Joan studied with soprano Marni Nixon and, in May, 1991, made her professional solo debut at Weill Recital Hall in New York City performing Joseph Canteloube’s “Songs of the Auvergne”. Joan also has performed for the New York City Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Joan and Steven Reveyoso were married on July 19, 1997 in Wilmington. In addition to her husband, Joan is survived by her sister, Ethel (Feffie) Barnhill, her uncle Glenn Barnhill and her cousins, Glenn and Jimmy Barnhill and Deborah Diver, as well as her mother-in-law, Velma Mayfield, her brothers-in-law Jean-Paul Reveyoso and Myron Mayfield, her sister-in-law Valerie Reveyoso, as well as nieces, nephews and friends.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church, 101 Old Kennett Road, Wilmington, DE 19807. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Donations can be made in Joan’s memory to the Light House Guild, 250 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023 (https://lighthouseguild.org/) or The Joan Barnhill Reveyoso ‘68 Memorial Fund at The Tatnall School, 1501 Barley Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19807 (https://give.tatnall.org/campaigns/joan1968).
Condolences
Thank You
Your online condolence will appear once approved by our site administrator.