Joan Louise McKee passed away peacefully on the evening of Christmas Day, December 25, 2024. She was 79, and resided in Canõn City, CO.
Born June 13, 1945, in Wellington, Ohio, Joan was the only child of Harry Abram Bovard and Frances Bovard (Eckert). When she was just nine, her father suddenly passed away, and she and her mother and aunt relocated to Bowling Green, Ohio. In quintessential “Boomer” fashion, she met her husband, John (Owen) McKee, 85, at guitar lessons, and wed in August of 1962. Their first child, Karen Anne, 61, was born shortly after in February 1963. The couple went on to raise two more boys, John Daniel (Dan) 58, and David Owen 55.
Joan was a highly-productive and steadfast young mother. She completed her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University with a degree in Fine Arts and a teaching credential. For the next 17 years she instilled her passion for art into the young minds and hearts at Bowling Green Junior High School, and endured their hijinks. Simultaneously, mornings, evenings and weekends she would work in support of the family real estate business and raise three children.
In 1984, Joan divorced, and blossomed into a new phase of life — the pursuit of her creative and intellectual goals. She returned to BGSU to earn her Masters of Fine Arts degree and then began teaching art at the collegiate level until her retirement in 1996.
During this period and up until physical constraints would prevent her late in life, she was a prolific painter and artist, often drawing inspiration from her travels around the country and abroad. Her works were exhibited in both public and private galleries and private commissions. She throughly enjoyed presenting at art festivals from east to west coast. A mural titled: “To Live Out Loud,” may still be viewed in the “tunnel” at the BGSU Moore Musical Arts Center.
In 2012, Joan drifted west to be more central to her three children. She lived in a beautiful home next door to and built by her son, David. She was able to travel to California to live for a spell with her son, Dan’s family — providing love and grandmothering to her granddaughter, Madeleine. In 2021, she relocated to Canõn City where she was able to spend more quality time with Karen.
Joan had a sweet, gentle voice and a hearty sense of humor. She sought to both seek and provide laughter, guidance, practicality, curiosity and growth to those she surrounded herself with. She was a consummate mother, providing encouragement and support to positive endeavors and calling out deeds best undone. She loved traveling to foreign countries to absorb their cultures (and bring home Chinese furnishings), road-tripping in her travel trailer with her furry friends (she was companion to a long list of beautiful dogs and a few cats), absorbing herself in music and the arts that expressed life around us, and digging in the dirt to plant and grow beauty around her.
She is survived by her three children; daughter-in-law, Lori Shanoff; granddaughter, Madeleine; her faithful companions, Hoagie and Cinnamon, who will sorely miss her, and her former husband.
At Joan’s request, there will be no services, her body will be cremated, but she would certainly want all that knew her to share a laugh, possibly raise a glass, celebrate the memories of past —- and more importantly, the hope and promise of life ahead. If you wish to contribute something in her memory —- please do something positive for yourself or for someone else.
