Carolee Joan Pfuhl, 84

Carolee Joan Pfuhl passed away peacefully in Whitefish early on March 6, 2016. She was not quite 85.

Born on April 1, 1931, in Everett, Washington, to Owen Haselton and Beatrice “Bee” Johnson-Haselton, Joan was the first of their four children. Her siblings, Owen, Margaret and Sandra, would follow.

Joanie grew up in Snohomish County and King County, Washington, where she attended Everett High School, graduating in 1949. She then moved to Walla Walla, Washington, to attend Whitman College, earning her bachelor’s degree in English literature. Joan was an active member of the Phi Mu sorority.

It was at Whitman where Joanie met her future husband and the love of her life, Erdwin H. “Bud” Pfuhl, who was a sociology major. They were married on Aug. 22, 1953, at the home of Bud’s father in Palo Alto, California. Bud and Joan lived for a couple of years in Walla Walla, then the newlyweds moved to Moscow, Idaho, where Bud continued his studies at the University of Idaho, earning his master’s degree. Their first child, Christopher John, was born there in October of 1957.

Their next move was to Pullman, Washington, where Bud received his doctorate degree from Washington State University. They then returned to Walla Walla and to Whitman College, a place they loved dearly, and where Bud began his teaching career. Joan worked at several different jobs over those early years to help support their young family.

After saving steadily, Joanie and Bud were able to purchase their first home in Walla Walla. Their two daughters were born there — Stacey Ann in 1959, and Lisa Amanda in 1961. These were some of their happiest times together.

In 1965, the family moved to South Burlington, Vermont, where Bud had been offered a teaching position at the University of Vermont. They made many lifelong friends there, but realized that their hearts truly were still out West. So in 1967, Bud obtained a teaching position in Arizona State University’s sociology department and the family moved cross-country once again.

Over the ensuing years, Joan determined she wanted to teach at the elementary school level, and had begun pursuing her master’s degree while living in Vermont. The move to Arizona set her schedule back a bit, but she resumed her studies in Tempe, Arizona. Joanie finally achieved her degree after many years of hard work, and her first full-time teaching position was with the Kyrene School District. She came into her own over the years, becoming one of their best teachers. Joan loved every minute with her kindergarten, first- and second-grade students. She especially adored the youngest children. Joan’s innovative methods of engaging her students in their own learning process inspired many other teachers to emulate her.

Joan was a teachers’ teacher, as well. She worked for the Math Their Way program, which is a curriculum program designed to teach early-childhood educators how to instruct children in the fundamentals of math. Joanie enjoyed extensive travel opportunities with the program (even internationally!). Helping other teachers improve their own skills brought her much personal satisfaction. Joan visited many foreign destinations in her lifetime, including Paris, Leningrad, Russia, and Helsinki, as well as various cities in England, Norway, Scotland and Greece.

Beginning in 1971, Joanie and Bud escaped the hot Arizona summers by trekking to Montana, where Bud had been hired as a seasonal ranger in Glacier National Park. He spent 18 summers in that capacity, allowing them both to teach during the school year and return each June-August. They purchased land outside Bigfork at that time, later built a home on it, and finally retired there in 1991. The Flathead Valley had become their new home — their favorite place where they made many very dear friends. Joan was involved in the Ferndale Sewing Circle, the Glacier Orchestra and Chorale, her beloved book club in Bigfork, and the Flathead County Democratic Women. She even played a role in the stage production of “Ladies First.”

Joanie was an extremely accomplished knitter, a wonderful cook, a talented seamstress (teaching both her daughters to sew and create needlework art), and even taught herself to play the guitar. She could bake pies in a wood-burning oven that would rival any top chef’s creation, flip huckleberry pancakes over a campstove on a backpacking trip, and her potato salad was a legendary addition to any potluck gathering. Fortunately, Joan passed these skills along to her daughters and granddaughters! Her joy in being a part of the Bigfork and Kalispell communities was on full display whenever she joined in a game of golf with friends, attended a symphony concert, shopped at the annual Arts in the Park festival, or just walked her beloved springer spaniel down the street.

Joan suffered a stroke in May of 2014, but battled hard to overcome the resulting aphasia as much as possible. Just as she was beginning to resume a more normal routine, she fell while out walking and fractured her hip. Together, those injuries created a difficult path for Joan — she struggled to communicate, and many activities were no longer possible. But through it all, her new and old friends alike continued to see the funny, sweet and sensitive Joan that was still inside.

Her family is especially thankful for the kindnesses Joanie was shown by the staff at The Springs in Whitefish, the great folks at Immanuel Lutheran Home, Pastor Dan Heskett of Northridge Lutheran Church, and all her many lovely friends around the Flathead Valley. We were blessed with a wonderful mother, and blessed that she was so embraced by this community.

A remembrance gathering in her honor will be held later in the summer.

Survivors include her brother and sisters; her three children; two grandsons, Bob and Andy; and four granddaughters, Beth, Amy, Katri and Lauren.

Memorial donations may be directed to the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, an organization both Joanie and Bud cherished and supported.