Joan Vivian Van Buskirk Johnson
September 24, 1945 – January 13, 2022

The daughter of a farmer and a schoolteacher, Joan grew up in Lanark, a small farming town in Northwestern Illinois and always considered herself a “farmgirl.” Her childhood education focused particularly on music and voice, so much so that one of her teachers commented that “she was the best conductor in English class.”

After high school, she worked as a camp nurse in Wisconsin, where she learned to swim and met her husband, Fred. A few years later, the family moved to Golden, Colorado where Joan raised her two sons, Timothy and Daniel, and provided childcare for several other children in a lively neighborhood.

Joan became an active member of Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church, where she sang in the choir, as a soloist, and with the Colorado Concert Chorale. South Church was her spiritual home and she contributed to its warmth as much as she could.

Joan took a job in the Patient´s Billing Office of Porter Hospital and saw her sons through their education at Mile High Academy. Eventually, she followed her passion working with seniors as an Activities Coordinator at an assisted living facility where she brought light into the lives of many others. Along the way, she earned her Bachelor´s degree in Human Resource Management at Colorado Christian University and continued to support others through her involvement with PEO International.

Joan was an avid traveler and accompanied some of her many dear friends to Germany; Belgium; Norway, Holland; Austria; Valencia, Spain; California; Pella, Iowa; and Kearney, Nebraska.

Joan is survived by her brother, Clark, and his family in Carroll County, Illinois; her two sons, Timothy (Kearney, NE) and Daniel (Dillon, CO); and her grandson Gunnar, who brought so much joy into her life.

May she rest in Peace.

A Celebration of Joan´s life will take place at 2p.m. on March 26, 2022 at Denver South Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Denver.