Joan Creek, 86

It is with great sadness that the family of Mary Joan Creek, 86, announce her passing on Nov. 13, 2024. She was a long-time resident of Kalispell. 

She was born in Independence, Missouri on April 10, 1938. The family moved to Sacramento, California where Joan graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in education. This would be the beginning of a lifetime of teaching and serving the community. Among her many achievements was the pioneering of team teaching. 

Joan moved to Kalispell in 1970. She taught in public and private schools. She believed that anything was possible with a good education. After retiring from teaching, she focused on helping abused and abandoned children working with the local CASA organization. 

In 1974, Joan married Jack Creek of Great Falls. They lived in Great Falls for a few years before moving to Southern California and then finally back to Kalispell. Her husband, Jack, passed away in 2019. 

She is survived by her five children, Kathy Prim of Kalispell, Jeffrey Markle of Los Angeles, Laurie Creek of Kalispell, John Creek of Roswell, Georgia and Terrence Creek of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is also survived by her sister, Linda Morton of Columbia Falls, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 

A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at Cayuse Prairie School, 897 Lake Blaine Rd., on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. 

A formal funeral, for Joan and Jack, will be held in Great Falls in the spring of 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in her memory be made to CASA.