Joan Lovell Rudenberg

Joan Lovell Rudenberg

Born June 8, 1944 - Died April 13, 2017

Joan Lovell Rudenberg (aka Joan Morgen, Joan Hansen, and Joan Bond) died at the age of 72 in her home in Otay Ranch neighborhood of Chula Vista, California on April 13, 2017 at 9:13 a.m. She died from the progression of ovarian cancer after battling since her diagnosis in 2011.

Joan was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts to Dorothy Bond and was raised by a single mother after divorcing Joan’s father. Her father was a military pilot during world war II and a Polish immigrant. Her mother, Dorothy Lovell was a bookkeeper and the family had immigrated from French Canada.

Joan was raised as a Catholic and attended Catholic school, graduating with a college degree as a nun. She always said that she was lured away from the convent by her deepest desire to have a family. She left the convent and became a teacher in elementary and junior high school which is how she met her first husband, William Richard Hansen. She was the teacher to his middle child, Steven Wayne Hansen and fell in love with Richard over parent teacher conferences and romantic gestures. After more than one miscarriage she gave birth to Dianna Christine Hansen and the family moved from the east coast back to Los Angeles to raise a family and in 1974 she gave birth to her second child, Sharon Kelly Hansen. The family stayed in San Pedro, a suburb of Los Angeles until 1989 when they relocated to Bonita, in San Diego, California. Joan studied nursing and by this time was working in the field of pediatrics as a Registered Nurse and went on to become the Preceptor for the State of California, Department of Health. She was working for the state when she lost her husband to a massive stroke.

She continued her nursing career until after marrying her second husband, Victor Morgen when she became a glamorous housewife and retired to care for Vic. Until Vic was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s they travelled the world and ran his staffing agency while she set up her nurse consulting business, prepared to enjoy their retirement together. Vic died in his home with Joan in 2002 well cared for. Joan moved on and continued travelling and chasing romance until meeting her third husband and final partner Norman Rudenberg. Joan loved the ocean and pursued boating, hiking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking in her retirement. She practiced gourmet cooking and learned some traditional Jewish recipes to honor her soulmate’s heritage.

Joan loved her life and was at her best when she was shopping, cooking or decorating. She took every opportunity to shop with her daughters or her girlfriends and usually spent at least one day shopping and going to lunch until her health precluded it. She was obsessed with Nordstrom and looked forward to stopping by the shoe department whenever she was at the mall. There was no negative feeling that couldn’t be made smaller by a trip to the shoe department at Nordstrom. She also loved bed bath and beyond for kitchen accessories because she loved to cook and decorate. She was wise and understood the incomparable healing power of a family dinner. Her kitchen was always the refuge of her daughters, as well as her closet. She always had the perfect outfit for any important occasions.

She left behind a devoted husband Norman Rudenberg, daughter Dianna Christine Hansen and grandson Nathan Capron, daughter Sharon Kelly Loero, son-in-law Lorenzo Loero, grandchildren Amelia Loero, grandson Nicholas Loero, step children: William Richard Hansen II, Kathy Joy Weightman, and Steven Wayne Hansen. Joan will be most keenly missed by her two dogs Molly and Sherlock who stayed by her side around the clock. She was met in heaven by her late husbands Richard and Vic, her mother Dotty and aunt Ethel, as well as her friend Diana Nadel.

Her memorial service will be on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Glen Abbey in Bonita, California. She will be cremated and ashes will be spread within the next year half in California and half in Maui off the coast in the ocean. In lieu of flowers she would like donations made in her name for the American Cancer Society.

#18 Finding Myself

I almost forgot who I was

I could barely recognize my own face

Startling, astounding cause for one to pause

At this time I had to question

Where am I going at such a fast pace

I can feel the smoothness of my skin, the breath on my lips,

The beat of my heart

By my side stand those whose very love causes the blood in my veins to flow

It is true that all of us is distinct, a being set apart

Yet, the real truth can only be seen through the heart

We are a part and whole of those we love

Without whom we are nothing more than a grain of sand or a puff of air

Which no one would ever know…