Joan Jobst Death, Obituary – The death of Joan D. Jobst, age 75, took place on Friday, February 10, 2023 at her residence in Ottawa, where she was surrounded by her family at the time of her passing. On Saturday, February 18, at 10:30 am, there will be a Mass of Christian Burial held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, and Father Ronald Margherio will preside over the ceremony. The Ottawa Funeral Home will be open for visitation on Friday, February 17 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Oakwood Memorial Park will serve as the location for the burial.
On March 25, 1947, Joan Downs was born in Bozeman, Montana, to parents named James and Margaret (Cooper) Downs. Her wedding to Michael Jobst took place in the Star of the Sea Church in Honolulu, Hawaii, on August 3, 1968. Joan grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and she adored everything and everything having to do with the ocean. She was a swimming instructor at the YMCA for more than three decades, and she also enjoyed body surfing.
Both Marquette and St. Bede Academy employed her as a teacher throughout the full 25 years of her career, and she also served as principal at Marquette for a decade. She was a phenomenal educator and attended every single game that her pupils participated in. She was a huge sports fan and attended nearly every baseball, basketball, softball, and football game she could. She did it not only for the benefit of her pupils, but also because she was enthusiastic about high school sports. In her spare time, she and Mike enjoyed going on vacation, particularly to Florence in Italy, which was their all-time favorite place to visit.
She was active in the Ottawa Rotary Club and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas in addition to her membership at St. Frances Church. She is survived by her husband, Michael; her children, Jennifer (Andrew) Borkowski and James (Jennifer) Jobst; her grandchildren, Torey, Allison, Finley, Kallyn, and Breckyn; her great grandchildren, Jasper and Nora; and her siblings, Michelyn and Barbara Downs. She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Jasper and Nora. Her parents and brother, James, passed away before she did, and she was the last surviving member of her family.