Obituary for Joan Kupfer
JOAN MARGARET KUPFER |
KUPFER JOAN MARGARET KUPFER, passed away December 28th, 2010, age 78. Joan was born in Cleveland, January 2, 1932 to Fern Dewitt Kupfer and Ernest Kupfer. She grew up and lived in the Cleveland area all her life. Upon graduation from Collinwood High School, she went to work for the Cleveland Illuminating Company. Joan was one of the early working professional women. She started her career at CEI as a secretary and worked her way up into a position in Human Resources where she hired and recruited Engineers for the Company. Her entire professional career was with CEI, where she retired from in 1990. Joan had many interests. She lived by Lake Erie and enjoyed swimming all her life. In her 20's Joan took up amateur oil painting and painted treasured portraits of her nieces and nephews. She traveled extensively with her dear friend Lori Adler. Although Joan never had children she lavished love and attention on her brother Ernest's four children as they were growing up. She never tired of playing "Go Fish" and "Old Maid" with them. She enjoyed helping to teach them to swim and dive. Joan shared her love of the Euclid Beach amusement park with them and had the children on roller coasters at age one. Joan is predeceased by her mother Fern and her loving brother Ernest G Kupfer. She is survived by her sister-in-law Mary Kupfer; aunt to Lynn Kupfer, Scott Kupfer, Kurt Kupfer, Lisa Kupfer, Claudio Weinstein (Lynn's husband); great aunt to Rachel and Alexander Kupfer-Weinstein, and dear friend Lori Adler and daughter Morgan. Joan was a two time survivor of Breast Cancer. She first survived at age 29 and then again at 54. She was blessed and always thankful for the life she lived as a survivor. Private services will be held and Joan will be interred alongside her mother at Western Reserve Cemetery in Chesterland, OH. Memorial contributions can be made to Deepwood Foundation, 8121 Deepwood Blvd., Mentor, OH 44060, Hospice of Western Reserve or Holy Family Hospice Home.