Joan Elaine Hoke, Warsaw, went home to be with the Lord at 3:27 p.m. Friday, March 30, 2018, at Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne at the age of 67.
She was born Oct. 12, 1950, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Melvin J. Lesh and Florence May Hager Lesh. On July 10, 2004, she was married to Noel Hoke, who survives.
Joan graduated from high school in 1968 in La Porte City, Iowa, and continued her education at Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1972. She taught school in Iowa, North Carolina and California, and worked at Grace Seminary West until moving to Winona Lake in 1990 to work in the advancement department at Grace College and Seminary. For a number of years she worked as an administrative assistant at Grace Brethren International Missions, and most recently she had been working at Carey Excavation in Warsaw. She was a member of Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.
Joan loved people, especially her family. She will be dearly missed by her family, church family and countless friends.
She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 13 years, Noel Hoke, Warsaw; three daughters: Kelli (husband Scott) Schneider, Winona Lake; Kaylin (husband Emil) Dragan, Fort Wayne; and Karla (husband Don) Cosgrove, Winona Lake; and three grandchildren: Luke, Katie and Evan. Also surviving are two brothers, Jeff (wife Sheri) Lesh, La Porte City, Iowa, and Jerry (wife Karen) Lesh, Marion, Iowa; and her sister, Julie (husband Ron) Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her grandson Ben.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw.
Her funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 4, at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, and officiated by Pastor Bruce Barlow. Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.
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Memorials to Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church, 1200 Kings Highway, Winona Lake, IN 46590 and designated to Winona Lake Kids.
Condolences may be sent at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
