Obituary of Joan Steele

Joan "Jan" Faye Heckert Steele of Salinas, California, passed away on May 29, 2009, after a lengthy illness. Joan was born May 20, 1932 at Newton, Iowa, the daughter of Clark and Edith Heckert. Joan grew up on a dairy farm operated by her parents in Marshalltown Iowa. She attended Jasper County Rural Schools and Marshalltown public schools, graduating in 1950 from Marshalltown High School. She received her nursing education from Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing (Marshalltown Community Hospital) graduating in 1953. She married Arnold Steele in 1954. They had three sons, Ronald, Randal and Rodger. Joan worked in her chosen profession most of her life. First, in the University of Iowa Hospitals and the Veteran's Hospital in Iowa City, then in Tift County Hospital, in Tifton , Georgia, and two long-term care hospitals in Salinas, California. Joan and her family moved from Tifton, Georgia to Salinas, California in December 1958. She was Director of Nursing at Casa Serena Convalescent Hospital of Salinas, and later, Nursing Consultant for several long term care hospitals. She was preceded in death by her son, Ronald, her parents, her brother, Donald Heckert, and her sister, Barbara Heckert. Joan is survived by her husband, Arnold Steele of Salinas, her brother Ramon (Helen) Heckert of Urbandale, Iowa, her stepmother Mildred Pfile Heckert of Marshalltown, Iowa, two sons, Randy (Andrea) Steele and Rodger Steele of Salinas, three grandchildren, Cody Steele, Kami Steele, and Tody Crowley, and four great-grandchildren. Joan will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and former colleagues who knew and loved her, and by the many persons whose lives were made better by her gentle and loving personality. Click for Map and Directions Saturday June 6, 2009 , 2PM at Healey Mortuary Click for Map and Directions