Joan Carole Koester

Joan Carole Koester, affectionately known as Granny and Joanie passed away peacefully on May 13, 2025. Joan was the first child of the late Stanley and Margaret (Slicker) Kessler. Joan was born November 7, 1936, in Detroit, Michigan.

Joan was married to the love of her life, the late Norman Koester, she always said he was her Paul Newman. She was a homemaker and mother and later in life worked at Harwood Elementary as a latch key provider.

Joan was the loving mother to Susan, James, and the late Nancy. She was the proud and cherished grandmother to Danny Czernysz and Kelly Kenyon and a dedicated great grandma to Anna Kenyon, Jameson and Dominic Czernysz. She could often be seen playing with the children and they gave her tremendous joy, filling them with her unconditional love every day. Joan was preceded in death by her husband, sister Marilyn Grant and brothers Robert and William Kessler. She is also survived by her fun loving cousin Joyce and dear sister in law Eileen Kessler and brother in law James Grant.

Norman and Joan built their dream cottage together in 1973 on Grand Traverse Bay. She loved nature and found immense beauty in trees, flowers, clouds, and the Bay. She could always be found in her garden right up until the end of her life. She loved having friends and family stay at their cottage. Her sister and best friend, the late Marilyn Grant, and husband James have a cottage right down the road. This trio enjoyed years and years of good times together. The sisters would enjoy countless sunsets and enjoyed watching and spoiling the birds together. It meant so much to her to have families and family friends enjoy themselves at the cottage.

Family was everything. Joan cherished all her nieces, nephews, and their spouses and children. She was so proud of her family. She also loved her cousins and all of their families they were very important in Joan’s life. Joan considered all the extended family as close family. Good times and stories were shared by Joan of all these family members often and she enjoyed looking at all the family pictures weekly. Her pure heart and loving essence will never be forgotten.

A family Memorial lunch will be set at later date. In lieu of flowers Joan would have loved donations to St Judes Children’s Hospital.

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.