JoAnn C. Stiehl

JoAnn Creamer Stiehl, 92, passed away on September 19, 2017 in Sugar Land, Texas.

She was born in Oklahoma City on January 8, 1925 to Carl Clifford and Lelia Elizabeth Creamer. They moved frequently, and although she had no siblings, she had a constant loving companion in her dog, a Spitz named Peggy. She shared many special times with her life-long best friend Elaine. JoAnn graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Classen High School, where she met her husband Bud (George Louis Stiehl Jr.). He was drafted into the army after Pearl Harbor, and they were married in Spokane, Washington. After several moves in the US, and a tour in the South Pacific, he returned home to his wife and son George Louis III (Skip). Then, the family was off to Baton Rouge, Louisiana  for Bud to attend grad school and where Carl Christian (Chris) was born. His PHD and post doc fellowship finished, Bud became dean of Pure and Applied Science in Monroe, Louisiana. JoAnn was pregnant again, so she and the boys went to Oklahoma City for Lelia Beth to be born. JoAnn's father remarried after her mother’s death , and was living in San Diego. His health was failing so JoAnn, Bud, and the three kids packed up and moved to California. JoAnn volunteered in PTA for over 20 years, she was active in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the backyard swim program, and attended many little league games. Eventually, she was able to continue her education, earning a degree from Mesa College, and Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Fine Arts from San Diego State University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and her thesis about Andrew Wyeth was accepted in the Smithsonian library. The kids were all married, Skip and Chris with children of their own, when she started work as a technical writer in Ridgecrest, California, while taking classes in graduate studies in public administration and art classes. JoAnn and Bud travelled to many places to spend time with their grandchildren and took them to some of their favorite places too; Calico, The Star of India, Disneyland, the zoo. In 1990, Bud was transferred to Albuquerque where Lelia Beth and her husband Larry lived. Only two years later, Bud passed away from liver cancer. Chris and his 3 boys visited several times. JoAnn and Bud took them on a road trip and later she continued to take them on adventures. Skip and his kids came to enjoy time with her in New Mexico as well. JoAnn embraced ballroom dancing competing locally, in other states, and even internationally, travelling to England. She met her second husband Glenn Blakely at a dance studio. They became a couple and were engaged when she had her heart attack. She recovered, and they were married in 1995. They enjoyed travelling, dancing, music, and just being together but sadly, Glenn died in 1998. JoAnn continued to dance, painted, joined the ZIA Republican women’s club, the Thunderbird retirees, was an advocate from New Mexico to Washington DC for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and enjoyed many activities with her friends. Her health precipitated a move to assisted living in Texas, where she was blessed with daily visits from Skip. Always devoted to her family, she sent birthday cards and attended family gatherings, and was especially happy to brag about her grandchildren and great- grandchildren.