Joan Marie Burkey, age 89, passed away peacefully at home on March 8, 2021. She was born September 25th, 1931 in Emporia, Kansas, where she attended college at Emporia State College and earned degrees in English, art and sociology. She taught for several years at Lincoln High School before starting her family.
Joan and her husband, Richard, moved to Morris, Minnesota in 1960, where Richard became one of the 13 original founding faculty of the University of Minnesota at Morris and Joan taught as a substitute teacher as well as helping work their farmland out on Pomme de Terre lake. Joan also produced some videos on farming techniques for the Ag center.
Due to their love of the sea and warm weather, when they retired almost thirty years ago, they bought a 42’ Chris Craft, launched it in Prescott, Wisconsin and then piloted the yacht all the way down the Mississippi and then over to the Florida Keys. They lived on it for several years on Marathon key then migrated back to land living in several cities in Florida before building their final home in Oyster Creek in 2001. Richard and Joan enjoyed travel, hunting, downhill skiing, water skiing, playing tennis, swimming, and especially Saturday morning coffee hour. Richard and Joan enjoyed living in Oyster Creek.
Joan is survived by her son, Todd Burkey, and her daughter, Denise Koslowski. She has two grandchildren, Jason and Christina Koslowski and three great grandchildren. Her family would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support throughout this difficult time.
