Joan Bahr
September 14, 1953 - March 07, 2022
Obituary
Joan N. Bahr, 68, of rural Belmont, peacefully passed away at home on Monday, March 7, 2022. Visitation will be 3:00 – 6:00 PM, Sunday, March 13, 2022, at the Melby Funeral Home & Crematory, Platteville, WI. Funeral service will be Monday, March 14, 2022, at 11:00 AM with visitation one hour prior at Peace Lutheran Church, Belmont. Rev. Connie Matye will officiate. Burial will follow at the Belmont Cemetery. A celebration of life luncheon will be at Belmont Convention Center following burial. Memorials may be made to the Joan N. Bahr Memorial Fund. Online condolences can be made at www.melbyfh.com
Joan was born on September 14, 1953, in Bismarck, ND, daughter of Arnold and June (Olney) Sakshaug. She was united in marriage to Kevin Bahr on September 27, 1997, at Peace Lutheran Church, Belmont. Joan received her Bachelor of Science from Colorado State, Fort Collins, CO. In 1987 she completed a dietetic internship at UW- Madison, which led to becoming a Registered Dietitian. Joan worked at Southwest Health in Platteville. She became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and continued to work at Southwest Health for over 30 years, retiring in 2021. Her coworkers were an extension of her family. While working she earned her Masters in Project Management at UW-Platteville and additionally earned her Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management. Her incredible work ethic and education positioned her to guide countless others toward living their healthiest best life. Former patients reported to her how she positively impacted their health.
Her love for family was obvious as she embraced all activities in which they were involved. She listened to and encouraged those around her, especially her kids. She enjoyed running/walking, sewing, quilting, cross stitch, and of course, cooking and baking. She loved traveling and embraced the entirety of creation available in our great country.
Joan loved helping others. Her genuine generosity touched an immeasurable number of lives. Serving came as a natural expression of her faith, and her life spoke of God's love to everyone in her path. She served Peace Lutheran Church in Belmont in countless ways over the last 25 years.
Joan is survived by her husband, Kevin; three children, Mark (Kristin) Gehringer, Melissa (Kristopher) Knous, Dan (Trisha) Bahr; eleven grandchildren; her mother, June Sakshaug; two sisters, Lynn (Loren) Johnson, Dawn (Joe) Elis and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, Arnold; father and mother-in-law, Donald and Ruth Bahr.
The family would like to thank the many healthcare workers for their quality and compassionate care at UW Madison, Southwest Health, Agrace Hospice and Sentinel Home Care.