Martha Joan Betz

Joan Betz

December 27, 1934 - April 24, 2025

Martha Joan Martin was born and grew up in Denver, Colorado with a younger brother and sister all of whom went to East High School. Her parents, Helen Tanner Martin, a homemaker, and Harold Melville Martin, a civil engineer, moved to Denver from Indiana. Joan - she always preferred Joan as a first name - was involved in several clubs including the White Jackets at East High and went on to matriculate at the University of Colorado eventually graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in history. Joan married Robert Sare at Montview Presbyterian Church in 1954. They started a family which grew to be one son and two daughters. Joan was active in her children’s lives, both at school and in outside activities like skiing, hiking and horseback riding.

Joan’s three passions were her family, her large circle of friends some of whom she knew for nearly 70 years, and her church activities. She organized two family reunions which scores of family attended. Joan enjoyed traveling with her grandchildren to Alaska, Italy and Paris, with her parents to the U.K., and with her friends to Switzerland, New Zealand the Caribbean. She did her share of hosting dinners parties for friends and family and was good at new recipes. Her prayer group was important to her.

Over the years, Joan was involved in many and diverse activities. She joined the Junior League. She helped with Metropolitan Opera Auditions and the Rotary Club’s Artists of America exhibits. She volunteered at the Colorado History Museum and tutored students at a nearby middle school. With her husband Bob, they hosted foreign exchange students and interns from Bethesda Hospital. She worked as a substitute teacher and later, as an office manager for scientific instruments company. She was active in sports as well: biking, hiking, tennis, golf and skiing. When she was in her sixties, she took up bicycle touring and did trips in Canada, Vermont, and the San Juan Islands which greatly impressed her children.

Joan was married for 34 years to Robert (Bob) Sare, an owner and manager of a roofing supply company. Bob passed away suddenly and sadly at age 55. She remarried John Betz and they traveled a great deal.

Joan’s daughter, Nancy Sare Love, lives in Highland Ranch with her husband, Jeff Love. They have a daughter, Kelley Love Surleta (Brandon Surleta) and a son, Derek Love (Kayla Romero). Connie Lou Sare Gotobed, her other daughter, passed away at age 35. Connie and her husband, Ken Gotobed, had 2 daughters, Jayme Sare (Grand Junction) and Lindy Sare (Breckenridge). Joan’s son, William Sare and his wife, Vickey, live in Colorado Springs. They have one son, Robert Sare (Ziva Schulaker, San Francisco). The 5 grandchildren are joined by one great-grandson, Kylan Surleta. Joan’s sister, Sue Simpton, lives in California and her brother, Bob Martin, passed away in Seattle. She has 3 nieces (Amy Martin Hansen, Laura Martin Purcell, Kirstin Nielsen Furuichi) and 2 nephews (Jeff and Jim Nielsen).

She once mused nostalgically that she had always lived in Denver - a great part of the country to live in - within blocks of Colorado Boulevard which in the early years consisted of large tracts of prairie grass and a Royal Crest dairy farm.

Joan enjoyed her 90th birthday dinner late last year with family and friends and a chocolate cake (her favorite) and an enormous bouquet of flowers.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 23, at 11:00 am at the Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, 10150 East Belleview Ave, Cherry Creek, CO 80111. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Hospice.