Joan H Lightner

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Joan Lightner, who departed us July 18th, 2023, surrounded by loving family. She was 91 years old and leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness and cherished memories.

Joan is predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Leroy “Flash” Lightner and is survived by four children and their spouses, four grandsons and their wives, great granddaughters and a great grandson with two more great grandchildren on the way. She is also survived by sisters with a longtime partner, nieces and their spouses, great nieces, a nephew and spouse, great nephews and many cousins who all loved her dearly.

Joan was born 01 June 1932 in Hegins, PA and grew up in Lebanon, PA for 89 years before moving to Tucson, AZ two years ago with her late husband to be closer to family. She graduated from Lebanon High School in 1950, went on to serve in the United States Air Force and was a proud veteran of the Korean War. After her military service, Joan was employed by New Penn Motor Express before the birth of her children, at which point, she decided to stay home to raise and care for her family. She later was employed by the Lebanon School District and after retirement, Joan worked part-time at Philhaven for 18 years.

Throughout her life, Joan was an inspiration to all who knew her through her steadfast commitment to volunteer work. She was a member of the Covenant United Methodist Church and over the years volunteered in countless ways, sacrificing her time to help build and cultivate strong bonds with her community. She was an accomplished, self-taught seamstress and put those skills to use helping those less fortunate. While living in Tucson, she dove into her charitable work and sewed countless tote bags, dresses and stuffed animals for foster care programs, Dress-A-Girl, an organization serving at-risk women and girls, and for a migrant shelter in Tucson. Joan also found great joy and companionship helping to sew quilts with the St. Mark’s Quilters. In addition to her volunteer work around sewing, during the holiday season she volunteered wrapping presents for families and seniors in need, volunteered at Hershey Park amusement park and was a faithful member of the D’Clairs Relay for Life team. Joan’s compassionate spirit and tireless dedication to giving back is a legacy that will continue to inspire us all. Her life’s philosophy can be summed up in her simple yet thoughtful motto “Be Kind”.

Beyond her dedicated volunteer work, Joan took great joy in wholeheartedly supporting her children and grandchildren, cheering them on in their various pursuits, be it sports or music. Her adventurous spirit took her hiking, biking, and kayaking in Hawaii, exploring both the Olympic Peninsula and British Columbia, and traveling often to the West Coast to visit family. She was an avid reader with a deep appreciation of World War II literature, enjoyed water aerobics and doing all sorts of arts and crafts including making countless homemade Christmas ornaments, her signature ‘thumbprint cards’ and over 175 Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls! While living in Tucson Joan enjoyed visiting Tohono Chul, Sabino Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Bisbee and taking in the spectacular views of the Catalina Mountain range. Even in her final months, her love for life and her family endured, as she shared her recipes and stories with her caring home health aides.

We will fondly remember Joan as the rock and matriarch of our family. She treasured making memories with her family and loved ones and her unconditional love and support for her family was unwavering. She had a particular love of the holidays and deeply valued the time she was able to spend with family celebrating, laughing, and cooking – we will always remember her famous homemade Turkey Noodle Soup, that to this day no one can seem to replicate. Joan's presence at the one-of-a-kind Lightner family card games was formidable, infusing the gatherings with a legendary blend of joy and competitive spirit, particularly during her cherished game of Pinochle. She was truly a force to be reckoned with. Even in her final months she could give you a run for your money at the card table with an unmatched feisty yet fun-loving attitude, famously saying “it’s no fun to win all the time”!

Joan Lightner's life was a testament to love, family, and selflessness. As we bid farewell to a remarkable soul, we find comfort in the cherished memories she leaves behind. Her legacy will forever inspire us to "Be Kind" to one another, spreading her light and love to those around us.

On October 27th, 2023, at 3:00 pm, we will gather at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery to honor Joan and her late husband, Leroy "Flash" Lightner. We invite all those who were touched by Joan and Flash’s remarkable lives to share their fond memories as we celebrate the impact they had on us all. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to organizations close to Joan's heart, such as Be Kind – Ben’s Bells Project (Tucson, AZ), Casa Alitas Welcome Center (Tucson, AZ), The Children's Miracle Network, St. Jude’s or a foster care program in your area.