age 73, left this world on Monday, October 21 to be with God, his angels, and many beloved family and friends. She endured a relentless pancreatic cancer for nearly 5 months, hanging on long enough to meet and hold her 11th grandchild, before her God decided it was time to go.
Joan was described by many as a beacon of grace, kindness, and encouragement; a woman who always seemed to put others first. She was a loving wife of her one and only; a devoted mother of three; a doting ‘Nana’ of eleven; a fiercely loyal sister, aunt, great aunt, and friend to many; and a firm but inspiring teacher to hundreds. She called most everyone ‘sweetie’, looked for the best in everyone, and claimed to have ‘absolutely perfect’ grandchildren.
She was born on February 20, 1946, in Muncie, IN to Joseph and Lillian Vestal Evans. She received a bachelor’s degree from Marian University in Indianapolis in 1968, and a master’s degree from Ball State University in 1975; both in Home Economics. Joan dedicated her life to teaching others, spending the last 16 years of her career at Heartland Career Center in Wabash, IN teaching Commercial Food Technology; retiring in 2008.
But Joan didn’t just teach in the kitchen, it’s where and how she showed her love, particularly around the holidays. She would set picturesque tables, ones fit for the cover of any etiquette book, with name cards, fine china, and hand pressed linen napkins. She would pour herself into preparing an absolute abundance the most delicious array of holiday comfort foods and homemade pies.
She loved to travel with her husband, and cherished their trips together to Alaska and Ireland. She was the family historian, researching and organizing everything she could find about the history of both the Shripka and Evans families. Long phone conversations with family and friends, and chats over tea and hot cocoa were some of her favorite things to do.
Joan loved her family. After a lifetime of living in small towns, and after 33 years living in one house in Wabash, IN; she and her Husband, Gary, decided to sell that house and move to St Louis, MO in order to be closer to 8 of their 11 grandchildren. They bought a condominium on the top floor of a multi-unit building. While her husband was learning the roads of St Louis, Joan became a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Webster Groves. She enjoyed decorating her new home, maintaining a variety of seasonal flowers on her new city deck, and generally spending lots and lots of time with all of the new life she had a part in bringing to this world.
Joan spent just one year in St Louis before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but it’s a year she made the most of. She is survived by her loving husband of 47 years, Gary Brent Shripka; three children Sarah (Chris) Daughtry, Andrew (Melissa) Shripka, Eric (Monica) Shripka; eleven grandchildren Caroline, Chloe, Anna, Amelia, Drew, Lily, Macy, Maya, Myles, Owen, and Nolan; plus nephews, nieces, and many friends; Joan Evans Shripka was deeply loved and will be missed in this world.
Please join us to celebrate Joan’s life. Visitation Sunday, October 27th, 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Kutis Affton Chapel, 10151 Gravois Rd., St. Louis. Funeral, Monday, October 28th, 11:00 AM Mass, St. Raphael Archangel, 6040 Jamieson Ave., St. Louis. Burial, J.B. National Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.