Joan Wright was the loving mother of Barbara Wright. According to one account, her husband was killed in the early stages of World War II. (PROSE: Tell Me You Love Me) However, according to another account, he was still alive years after the war. (PROSE: Venusian Lullaby)
Joan was left devastated and confused when her daughter disappeared in November 1963. She spent a whole year searching for Barbara and Ian Chesterson, unaware that they were travelling with the First Doctor. In 1964, she still hadn't given up hope in finding her daughter, so Barbara used the TARDIS' telepathic circuits to put Joan's mind at ease. (PROSE: A Long Night)
On 26 June 1965, Ian and Barbara returned home and Joan was the first person they visited. (PROSE: The Time Travellers)
In an alternate timeline, during the WOTAN crisis, Joan was visited on 16 September 1967 by an ageing duplicate of Ian Chesterton who had been separated from the Doctor by time travel. He told Joan that Barbara was never coming back. Joan simply asked what had happened to them and Ian told her their story. (PROSE: The Time Travellers) This timeline was averted when the Doctor defeated WOTAN in 1966. (TV: The War Machines)