The family would move from a farm in the Twin Falls area to Wichita, Kansas when Joan was in 8th grade. She remembered vividly the ride as she sat on her brother Frank’s lap the entire journey in a single cab pickup. She graduated from Wichita North High School in 1955.
Joan worked in the aircraft industry her entire career. In the 1980s and 1990s, Joan served as the executive secretary to the presidency at Beech Aircraft Corporation, during the transition from the company being led by the Beech family to being led by the Raytheon Corporation. Joan was a trusted member of the executive team during an important era in the company’s history.
Frank introduced Joan to his co-worker Dan Goble. Joan and Dan would date for ten years and marry in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 8, 1969. They lived a long and happy life together. They enjoyed taking trips to Missouri and casinos. She cared for Dan in their later years as his eyesight and hearing failed. He followed her in death by exactly five hours.
Joan loved holidays and home decor. Although she claimed to not be very creative, it was obvious to those who knew and loved her that she had an eye for design. Joan used her talents to decorate her home, plan parties (usually with her sister-in-law LaVonne) and wrap Christmas and birthday gifts that could have ended up in an issue of a lady’s magazine. She had a classic sense of personal style. Black and white were her colors.
Joan was incredibly generous. She often sent care packages to her nieces and nephew “just because.” She was an integral part of every family celebration and milestone. Joan had a quiet wit and great sense of humor that made her an absolute joy. She also loved to care for stray cats in the neighborhood, the most recent being a black cat with white markings called White Tail.
Joan is preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Lorene, her brother, Frank, and her sister-in-law LaVonne. She is survived by her nephew, Marty Crawford, her niece Angelia Crawford, both of Topeka, Kansas, and her grand-nieces, Jessica Crawford and Brooke Crawford (and her fiancé Ryan Walkowiak), all of Overland Park, Kansas.
The funeral service will be held at Resthaven Mortuary & Cemetery on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will begin prior to the service at 9:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children at lovetotherescue.org.
