Joan Elaine Blach, age 95, passed away peacefully after a short illness on November 17, 2023, in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by family. She was born September 30, 1928, to Betty and Clayton James McCormick in Sterling, Colorado. Joan moved to Loveland, Colorado, with her family when she was in the first grade and graduated from high school in 1946. She attended Colorado Women’s College in Denver for two years and graduated from Colorado State University in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in child development. It was during her time at Colorado State University that she met and married Sherman Blach from Yuma in 1951.
Joan dedicated her time to being a stay-at-home mom for her two daughters, Roslyn and Phyllis, while Sherman worked as a farmer and rancher for 34 years in Yuma until his death in 1985. She moved to Aurora, Colorado, in 1987 where she enjoyed the mountains, traveling, visiting the casinos, playing bridge, and spending time with family in the area. In 2004, Joan relocated to Springfield, Missouri, to be closer to family. Joan was a resident of the Creekside Independent Living and enjoyed playing cards with other residents, going on excursions to local attractions, drinking coffee Tuesday afternoons with Phyllis, and getting ice cream with her great-grandchildren. Joan loved watching the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs football, had a fantastic sense of humor, and was a devout Catholic.
She is survived by her two daughters Roslyn (Ralph) Brookens of Springfield, Illinois, and Phyllis (Dick) Stalnaker of Springfield, Missouri. She is also survived by her granddaughters Lindsay (Adam) Skibley of Chicago and Megan Jackson (McKinney Austin) of Cary, North Carolina, as well as four great-grandchildren, Jackson and Connor Skibley, and Charlotte and Elizabeth Austin.
The arrangements are being handled by Gorman Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield. Friends are invited to visit between the Rosary and the Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, December 9. The Rosary will begin at 9:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 2200 West Republic Road, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. A lunch will be provided for friends after the Mass. Interment will take place next spring or summer in Yuma, Colorado.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making donations in memory of Joan to St. Agnes Cathedral, 533 South Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806 (memo line: St. Vincent de Paul Society) or to the family.