Obituary

Joanne, 77, passed away on May 8, 2020 at Legacy Salmon Creek.  She was born on April 24, 1943 to Leonace in Ashland, Wisconsin.  She spent the early years living with her grandparents and had fond memories of her grandmother Mary all her life.  Joanne was the oldest of her siblings.  She graduated from St. Louis Park High Schoolin St. Louis Park, MN in 1961.

Joanne met Gene and married in June 1963.  They had two children, Dawn and Patrick.  After they divorced Joanne decided it was time to start fresh someplace other than Minnesota.  She had planned on moving to the Pacific Northwestprior to getting married.  So she had an auction and loaded what was left in a small u-haul trailer.  Packed the kids in the car and made the trek cross country to Portland, Oregon.  Gene returned and they moved to Vancouver, Washington and got remarried. 

Joanne held a number of jobs over the years.  She was a typesetter, worked at the cannery, sold Avon and ran pilot car one season with Gene.  She managed the books for him while he was a long haul truck driver.  Gene passed away in 1989 after a stint with Hospice.  Joanne was so impressed with the nurses, that after Gene passed, she went to school at Clark Collegein the nursing department.  She did the prerequisites and the nursing program in two years and graduated with honors in 1991.  She spent a year working for the VA and then went to work for Hospice Southwest.  She finished her nursing career working for Kaiser’s Hospice.  She absolutely loved her job. 

Joanne loved her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.  She loved a good book and dogs.  She read about French bulldogs in a mystery novel and decided she had to have one.  She ended up having four before she was no longer able to take care of a dog. 

Joanne is survived by her children, Dawn and Patrick, grandson Micheal, great grandchildren Audrie and Connor, siblings Jerry (Sally), Terri and Leo Jr., Gene’s daughter Denise (Barney) and children Carey, Nicole and Justin, brother-in law Wayne (Helga) and sister-in-law Nila.

Joanne was predeceased by her husband Gene, parents Leonace and Leo Sr., siblings Ricky, Shar and Gary, and son-in-law Dave.

Internment will be at Crawford Cemeterywith Layne’s Funeral Home covering arrangements.  No funeral at this time due to the virus, so a celebration of life will be held later when we can all gather and remember the wonderfulness of Joanne.