Joan Boden (née Masters) passed away peacefully on March 26, 2020. The second of three children, she was born to George William Masters and Mildred Marie Masters (née Hitchcock) on January 20, 1929. Joan was born in her parents’ bedroom, in her beloved farmhouse on North Leavitt Road in Warren, Ohio, in which she lived for the majority of her life. Joan graduated from Leavittsburg High School in 1947 and initially wanted to become a flight attendant and travel the world, however, in order to become a flight attendant, she was required to first become a nurse, so Joan attended St. Luke’s Nursing School in Cleveland, Ohio, in order to fulfill her dream of traveling the world.  Joan’s love of travel was temporarily sidelined when she met and married Albert P. Boden on August 4, 1950. From 1952 to 1967, spent most of her time carrying and raising her six children, however, she was able to backpack across Europe and Australia in the 70’s and 80’s. In later years, Joan had many cross-country adventures in ‘Grandma’s van,’ many of which included at least one or more of her grandchildren.  Joan spent most of her adult life working as a nurse in various capacities, from hospitals to blood banks, but her greatest joy was working in postpartum with mothers and newborns. Joan was an active member of her community, as a lifelong member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with many sewing and knitting guilds. Those close to Joan knew her to be a gentle lady whose quiet demeanor belied a strong passion for Conservative politics. She was a lifelong supporter of the Right to Life movement, which ultimately led to her being jailed in Austin, Texas in 1989 for partaking in a sit-in. Joan was especially fond of collies and cardinals, and she enjoyed reading her Bible and listening to the news.

Fond memories of Joan will forever be remembered by her surviving family members: her eldest daughter, Joni Hall and son-in-law, Brian, of The Colony, Texas; her daughter, Joyce Nelson and son-in-law, Rick, of Lucas, Texas; her son, David Albert Boden, of The Colony, Texas; her daughter, Jane Boden, of Wylie, Texas; her daughter, Jean Marie Lari, of Dunedin, Florida; her son, Mark Boden, and daughter-in-law, Cora, of Garland, Texas;  and her twelve grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

Joan was the last of her generation to depart from this life. She was preceded in death by her parents; her ex-husband, Albert Boden; her brother, William E. Masters, M.D.; her sister, Roberta Davis; and her granddaughter, Aunika M. Boden.