Joan Thatcher Lovato

Joan T. Lovato, of Colorado Springs, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 20, 2014, at the age of 74, due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She was born on May 15, 1940 in Washington DC to the late Helen and Tom Thatcher.

Joan was raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This is where she met her husband Anthony Lovato, while he was stationed there in the Navy. They were married in 1959, in Washington D.C. and they moved to Colorado in 1962 where they raised their four children.

Most of her time was spent raising her children and taking care of her family. She also helped Anthony run his dental laboratory for 43 years.

Joan enjoyed bowling, tennis, playing cards and games. She also liked to do various crafts including cross-stitch and knitting, as well as attending and participating in craft fairs. Joan was also involved in raising money for various charities including the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association.

She is preceded in death by her parents and husband Anthony.

She is survived by her brother Harry (Sally) Thatcher, brother-in-law Leroy (Marilyn) Lovato, and sister-in-law Mary Ann (Jerry) Salazar. She is also survived by her four children Dr. Michael (Lynn) Lovato, Rebecca (Scott) Shoemaker, Teresa (Rick) McKay, and Dr. Matthew (Jodi) Lovato. She is survived by her most precious gifts, her 13 grandchildren: Allison, Melissa and Maximillian Lovato, Christina (Rashaud) Kraft, Jacqueline Allery, Thomas and Toni Shoemaker, Breanna (Keith) Madsen, Tyler (Jaclyn) and Brandon McKay, Benjamin, Sarah, and Abigail Lovato. She is survived by two great grandsons, Jaxon Madsen and Andre Kraft.

A visitation is to be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 25th, at Swan Law Funeral Home, 501 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 26th, at First United Methodist Church, 420 N. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

The burial will follow the funeral at Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the COPD Foundation, 20 F Street NW, Suite 200A, Washington DC 20001 - www.copdfoundation.org - 1-866-731-2673