Obituary of Joan M. Koesterer

Joan Koesterer passed away on January 4, 2017 after a courageous battle with neurological disease. She is survived by her sisters Kathleen (Robert) Eisenman and Susan Bey as well as her aunt Clara Koesterer and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Eleanor (Collins) Koesterer and brother-in-law Steven Bey. Joan was born on July 17, 1952. She was a 1970 graduate of Stow High School and then went on to obtain degrees in Social Work and Nursing from Ohio State and Kent State Universities, respectively. Eventually she went on to receive a Masters of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. She thrived in her career as a nurse, eventually working her way into management. Later in her life she began a second career as a teacher of nursing students at Case Western Reserve University. Joan was a good friend to many over the years. Throughout her illness, many of these friends visited her and shared stories of the support and friendship she provided to them as the “voice of reason and strength.” She loved to travel and went to many places all over world with many of her friends as well as her niece. Despite her many travels, after living in Montana for a while after college, Montana was always in a place closest to her heart. Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at Holy Family Church in Stow at 1:30 PM on Saturday, January 14, 2017; friends may call at the church from 12:30 PM until Mass begins. In lieu of flowers, friends may make donations to Doctors Without Borders, a charity important to Joan, or to Menorah Park Foundation, who cared for her with compassion during her final weeks.