Joan Park Andersen, 76
Joan Park Andersen "went to be with the Lord" on Feb. 16, 2006, at her home on Flathead Lake with her family by her side. Joan, often called Joanie by her friends, was born Sept. 21, 1929, in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter of Arthur and Olive Park. She grew up in Salt Lake City, and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane.
She attended Saint Patrick's Nursing School in Missoula, graduating in 1950. Upon graduation, she worked in Oakland, Calif., Missoula and Butte until she relocated to Kalispell to be close to her parents, who had retired and built a home on Angel Point, just south of Lakeside.
Joan spent the majority of her 50-year nursing career working in the Kalispell family practice offices of Dr. Robert Benke and Dr. Bruce Allison. She was very fond of the doctors and colleagues she worked with and also the many patients she came to know as friends.
She married the love of her life, Robert Andersen, on May 19, 1962, and joined with Robert in caring for stepson, Robert J., and stepdaughter, Kathy. Robert and Joan gave birth to two boys, Richard and John, and raised them in Kalispell.
Because Joan's father's work had required her family to move several times during her youth, she vowed that "her boys" would have the opportunity to start and graduate from the same school system. They did, and for that they are very grateful. The family also attended First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell for many years, and Joan helped establish faith and an appreciation for church community as central elements in the life of her family.
Joan was wonderful at making and capturing memories. She was quick to laugh, had a natural gift of hospitality, and loved nature and the Flathead. She did many wonderful things that went largely unnoticed, simply because she liked to help people and didn't seek attention for herself. She took two young ladies into her home while she had toddlers herself and helped them through their own childbearing experiences.
Many stories about her kindness have emerged in recent days and have given the family much comfort. If readers of this notice wish to call or write, they are welcome to do so. The family is also preparing an online memorial to Joan at http://joanandersen.blogspot.com/ where you can share your memories of Joan.
Robert and Joan together shared a love for camping and entertaining on Flathead Lake, visiting relatives in many Western states, and the lovingly spoiled dogs that shared their homes and lives.
In 1990, Robert and Joan built their retirement home on Flathead Lake near Somers and in recent years were blessed with several new additions to the family. John and his wife, Stacey, along with their boundlessly enthusiastic children/grandkids, Megan, 4, and Nathan, 2, frequently visited from Kalispell; while Richard and his wife, Ursula, made many trips and called often from their home in San Jose, Calif.
Joan was a woman with a tremendous capacity to care, and loved many people and many aspects of God's creation. She loved hummingbirds, Glacier Park, flowers, Erma Bombeck's humor, and her trips to Portugal, Hawaii and Scotland, staying in close touch with friends and a large extended family, and exchanging letters. She had beautiful handwriting.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur L. and Olive Park, of Lakeside and sister, Patricia "Patsy" Gilbertson, of Tucson, Ariz.
She is survived by her immediate family mentioned earlier and brother Arthur H. "Art" Park of Kent, Wash.
A memorial service celebrating Joan's life will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at First Presbyterian Church in Kalispell. There will be no visitation.
The family suggests that donations in memory of Joan be made to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, 43 Woodland Park Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901.
Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Joan's family.