Joan Marie Decur, 69, of Suamico, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2023, at Unity Hospice residence center in the presence of her loving sons. She was born Joan Marie Vandevoorde on August 1, 1954, to Jean “Lolly” Vandevoorde and the late Lawrence “Patcha” Vandevoorde of Pence, Wisconsin. She graduated from Hurley High School where she excelled in sports and was part of the school's first girls athletic team, the 1971 Girls Track Team recently inducted into the Hurley High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 1975, she married Michael Decur and started a family, eventually settling in the Green Bay area. After watching her three boys grow and start elementary school, Joan went back to college to pursue her degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She used this education and her love for working with kids to be a local substitute teacher before finding her career as a Library Aide for the Howard-Suamico School District. While working this as her full-time career, she kept busy with part-time work at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College and helping out at her neighbor’s car service center business, as well as keeping busy at Monday nights’ Village Lanes bowling league. In 2019, Joan retired after working over 20 years in the library to spend her free time with her beloved five grandchildren. Of all her titles, Grandma was by far her favorite. Her biggest joy in life came from hosting her grandchildren as often as she could, providing them with endless amounts of board games and puzzles to do together. Grandma Joan lived for sports. She was always at her grandchildren’s sporting events to cheer them on, and always had a sport of some sort on her TV for anyone that visited to watch with her.

She is survived by her three sons, Matt, Oconto, Jason (Kim), Suamico and Shaun (Kacy), DePere; five grandchildren, Dominic, Gabriel, Evelyn, Bennett and Malia; her mother, Jean Vandevoorde, Pence; a brother, Gene (Mary) Vandevoorde, Green Bay; a sister, Judy (Si) Uutala, St. Paul, Minn; seven incredible Vandevoorde nieces and nephews; many loving Decur nieces, nephews, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law and other relatives.

Out of respect for her wishes, cremation has taken place. There will be a private family memorial service held for Joan, and the family will be planning to fulfill her wishes of a larger Celebration of Life service in Spring 2024. The family would like to thank the staff of Unity Hospice for all of their care and assistance through this time.

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