Joan Marie Geissler

Our mom was a force of nature. Not in a loud way, and never one to want the spotlight - she was the quiet, steady, immovable kind. The kind who holds everything together, who makes life warmer, and who leaves a mark on everyone lucky enough to be near her. She loved her family with everything she had. Her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her brothers were the center of her world, and she made sure we knew it every single day. But it wasn't just how much she loved - it was the way she loved. She made every meal, drove to every activity, kept the household running, and showed up fully for the people around her, all while quietly fighting a battle most people would have used as a reason to sit down. She never did. She was a fighter. She faced her chronic illness with a grace and selflessness that left us in awe. She never wanted anyone to feel burdened by her suffering. She just showed up, smiled, and made it work. And somehow, she made it fun. That was Mom. She wasn't only brave - she was joyful. She could find a reason to laugh in almost any situation, and her knack for making the best of things was contagious. Life with her was an adventure, even on the ordinary days - from doing acrobatics in the hallway to entertain us at bedtime, to reading to us at night when we were offering to get her water and backrubs for just one more chapter... which she always obliged, not matter how tired she was. She always came through. She was also the best person in the world to share good news with. Her happiness for the people she loved was genuine and immediate - no reservations, no conditions, just pure delight. When something good happened to you, you wanted to call Mom first. She also gave the best hugs in the world. She put her whole self into them, and somehow you always walked away feeling like everything was going to be okay. She and Dad were married for nearly 50 years, and watching them together was something special. She was his Joani, and he was her Dale. Their life took them from Alaska to Minnesota, Wisconsin to Missouri, and finally to Colorado, and wherever they landed, they were always on the same page, always thinking of each other first. They were a team, a true partnership, and they loved each other with their whole hearts - completely, over the moon, right up to the very end. When it came to her family, our mom was not someone you wanted to stand in the way of. She was the definition of a mama bear. She would lock eyes with a school principal and hold her ground until her kids were placed in the right class - whether the school allowed it or not. She drove to every McDonald's in town until she had gotten the complete McNugget Buddies collection her kids wanted, even if the employees had to go dig in the back. She found creative ways to stretch the library's borrowing limit so we could bring home as many books as our arms could carry. And in a shining example of this, when hospital rules tried to keep her from Dad's bedside, she simply didn't accept that. She slipped past every barrier like a ninja, found her way to his room, and was genuinely proud - beaming, even - to be perp-walked out by hospital staff. Because she'd done what she came to do. That was her. Nothing stopped her when it came to the people she loved. Her faith was the bedrock beneath all of it. Her belief in Jesus was unshakeable - not something that flickered when life got hard, but something that steadied her through everything. She made it to church on days she could barely walk, and without fail, she came home with a spring in her step. Her faith wasn't just something she held onto. It held her. She was the best wife, mother, and Nana anyone could ask for. She carried more than most people ever will, and she carried it with a smile on her face and her heart on her sleeve. She lifted everyone around her. She made every room better just by walking into it. Our dad recently said that every house they lived in on their journey together, they made sure to leave better than they found it. It's hard to think of anything that captures Mom more perfectly, because that's exactly what she did with everything she touched, and everyone she loved. Our whole family is so grateful she was ours

Joan Marie Geissler

June 7, 1953 - September 1, 2026

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