Joan Kathleen Badura

Joan Kathleen Badura was born and raised in Rochester, NY. Joan attended Webster Central High School and graduated in June of 1958. She worked at Wegmans Grocery store as a head cashier for a few years. She married her high school sweetheart, Joe in September 1962. Joe was in the Air Force, so Joan packed up and left Webster coming back each summer to visit her family. It was the start of a long journey many years around the States. In summer of 1971 they packed up and headed north to Eielson AFB in Alaska for 2 years. In 1975 they were moved to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Alaska would be their home for the rest of her years. Joan liked her flowers that she lovingly tended to around the house. Joan worked at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and also National Bank of Alaska in Mortgage Loan Servicing until she retired in 2000. In the early years, Joan and her family became involved in airboating. They spent many summers camping at Willow Creek and fishing on the Deshka River. In 1984 Joan and Joe bought a cabin on Stephan Lake. They spent 32 years at the lake. Upon Joe's retirement in 2002, they began spending the winter months' snow-birding in Yuma, AZ. Joan loved the Alaska Summers at their cabin, boating on their party-barge with the company of friends while watching the loon family grow. The scenery was always beautiful and Joan never tired of the view. Joan loved the warm sunny winters in Yuma, the desert sand and their large backyard ocotillo. There she visited with many friends, both old and new. Joan liked to travel and was always ready to go and did not complain, even on their eighteen trips up and down the ALCAN. She will be missed by her husband Joseph, children Michael and Wendy, grandchildren Ariana, Peyton, Brooke and Chance, brother and sister in law Bruce and Linda Ensign, sister Karen Marsden as well as many nieces and nephews. Joe said, "Joan was my co-pilot, always by my side."