Joan Lois Yunker Auch

Auch, Joan Lois Yunker Joan Lois Yunker Auch passed away peacefully at her home in Denver, Colorado, on October 10, 2014, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born on November 6, 1932, in Fords, New Jersey, Joan was the daughter of John Nelson Yunker and Violet Smallwood. After receiving her BA from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Joan moved to New York City, marrying David Milton Auch in 1956, after which they relocated to Winnetka, Illinois. She worked for nonprofit agencies for many years, and lived on the island of Yap in Micronesia for two years in the 1980s as a Peace Corps volunteer. She moved to Denver in the 1990s to be near her children. Joan was extremely well-read and a lifelong lover of learning, art, music, politics, animals, and travel. Incredibly sharp, Joan was engaged with family, friends, and the world to the very end. Preceded in death in 2011 by her beloved son, David Jonathan Auch, Joan is survived by her loving daughter, Alison Jane Auch of Durango, Colorado, and her adored granddaughter, Chloe Isabella Auch Hammersmith. Joan is also survived by her dear cousins Mary Whitlock and Ann Bradley, both of New Jersey, and John Cook of Ontario, Canada. Donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, www.pancan.org.