Joan Marie (King) Blum, 75, passed away peacefully in Longmont, Colorado on Thursday, June 13th, 2024 after a long journey with Alzheimer’s disease. Up until her passing, Joan maintained her kindness, compassion, appreciation of music, love of her family and caregivers around her, and managed to bring joy to everyone lucky enough to walk in her light.
Joan was born in Milwaukee WI on August 22, 1948 to Hugh D. and Delores M. (Schwantes) King, who loved their only daughter dearly and supported her pursuit of piano, in which she excelled and received awards for. Joan was a beloved sister to her younger brother Charles (Chuck). Joan attended Madison West High School, and later met her spouse Raymond Edward Blum while she was studying at University of WI Madison. The two were married in 1969; they moved to Michigan in 1970 where Raymond was stationed in the Air Force, and soon after started a family, welcoming sons Raymond John and Robert James. They spent four years in Michigan before moving back to Wisconsin; a daughter Jennifer Rebecca was welcomed in 1978.
Joan’s family meant the world to her. As a mother of a young family in Wisconsin, Joan spent countless hours tending to the huge garden and canning vegetables, cooking homemade meals including wild game, taking care of the home, yard, and flower beds, sewing and darning clothing, ensuring her children made it to swimming lessons, encouraging them in music, taking her family to church, supporting scouting events as a den mother, singing songs (she had a beautiful voice!), making Halloween costumes, taking care of the family dog (even when he got stuck in the culvert under the driveway!), ensured her children spent time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and otherwise doing all things to ensure her husband, young children, and other family members were supported and loved.
In 1985, Joan packed up their shared home and belongings to make the family move to Colorado; Raymond was already working in Colorado and Joan took the lead on ensuring the move was safe and successful. Her parents joined the drive and her children have fond memories of the strength of their mother making this journey with 3 kids, a dog, and pulling a boat trailer despite never having driven with a trailer before, traveling to a new location she’d never been, and to a new adventure in the mountains. And a new adventure it was; Joan managed to make the unfinished house a home despite the lack of running water (there was only an outside faucet!) and no furniture arriving for a week!
In Colorado, Joan again devoted her time and heart to her family, and spent the first couple of years ensuring their transition was as smooth as it could be; she adjusted to growing flowers in the high, dry climate of Colorado and walked her children to the bus every morning no matter the weather (one mile each way, uphill both ways!). Joan soon transitioned to taking a job outside the home, eventually taking a job with Winterworks, Inc., progressing to a management position supporting two clothing retail stores in Estes Park. Joan spent many years training and supporting seasonal staff, including young students in the community as well as international workers. Joan took immense joy in her work, loved her co-workers as if they were her family, and always remarked at how much happiness she experienced when tourists with young children or babies would come in to the stores and share their family story or vacation details. Joan’s patience and kindness were known to every coworker and customer who crossed her path, and her endless energy for maintaining more than a full-time job and full support of her family at home was second-to-none.
Joan’s selfless endurance extended into her later years as her children went on to new adventures and she devoted her time to her husband and to her work. She took great joy from hearing about her children’s experiences, as well as those from the lives of her close colleagues at Winterworks. She also remained deep in her faith. When she finally retired, she was able to catch up on some well-deserved sleep and enjoy time in the mountains with her husband. As Alzheimer’s crept more into her life, she never ceased singing songs and bringing happiness and love to everyone around her. Her indomitable and joyful spirit will be deeply missed by all who loved her.
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