Joan Judith Reinke

Joan Judith Reinke, age 69, of Wisconsin Dells passed away At the Golden Living Center on Tuesday, March 16, after a long battle with Picks Disease.

Joan was born on November 28, 1940 to Carl and Ruth Eng of Clintonville. Joan attended the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music with a minor in geology. Joan married William (Bill) Reinke, whom she had known since high school, on July 3, 1964. They were blessed with one son, Karl, in 1968.
Joan was a multi faceted person with numerous talents from hunting to woodworking. Joan believed she could learn to do anything she wanted to do and when she made up her mind that she was going to do something she usually succeeded. For a time she played the violin and viola semi professionally with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. Anyone living in the Kaukauna area would have seen Joan in the country taking her daily two mile walks with one of her Labrador Retrievers. She was also choir director for Kaukauna United Methodist Church and later bell choir director for Appleton United Methodist church. Joan was diagnosed with Dementia in 2003 and after living a short time with Karl and Sandy, was placed at the Villa Pines Living Center with Bill in Adams in 2005. Joan was later diagnosed with Picks Disease, a rare and severe neurological form of dementia.

Joan will be most remembered walking the halls of Villa Pines while singing old hymns that she had memorized. In the final stages of the disease the hymns, and the love she had for her Son and his family, seemed to be what kept her going. Later she was moved to the Alzheimers care unit at Golden Living center in Wisconsin Dells. Here she met some remarkable, loving people who helped care fore her in her darkest hour. Special thanks are extended to Millie and her people for not only helping to care for Joan but also her family and grandchildren.

Joans last gift to others is in donating her brain to the UW/VA Brain Bank of Wisconsin for study into this devastating disease. The disease may have robbed Joan of her many talents, but it never took her spirit, as she outlived the disease for years longer than expected.

Joan is survived by her son, Karl (Sandy), as well as her two loving grandsons, Gunnar and Garrett. Her brother, James Eng, SR (Pat) of Appleton. Her sister in law, Barbara (Barry) Nimz, brother-in-law, Richard (Marti) Reinke, several nieces and nephews, other family, and friends.

A memorial gathering will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00p.m on Friday, March 19, 2010 at the Roseberry’s Funeral Home in Friendship, Wisconsin. Pastor Sam Downey will officiate. Interment will be at the Graceland Cemetery, in Clintonville, Wisconsin at a later date.

The family requests that donations be made to the brain bank of Wisconsin, so that others may benefit from the loss of Joan.

Joan, rest, nobody can ever say that you were weak, or that you gave up when the chips were down. You taught so many people about strength and courage in the face of adversity, now is your time to rest and enjoy life at its best.