Joan Katherine Howell (Rothrock)

Joan Katherine Howell, 88, passed away on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Joan was born the daughter of George Edgar Rothrock and Katherine Helen Burkhardt on November 23, 1933. While her parents spent many years living in California, they had moved to Kansas City, Kansas by the time she was born the 7th child of 8 children. She had 5 brothers, Thurston, Quentin, Warren, Norman, and Gordon, and 2 sisters, Loretta (Bell) and Gloria (True). Her father and 4 brothers all served time in the military.
Joan was born in the last year of the Great Depression. While the family was considered poor, especially with 8 children, there was never a shortage of love or happiness. The children all looked out for each other and helped babysit. Joan would fondly look back and tell stories of how her older brothers would play tricks on her and her sisters, and how much fun they would all have. The love between the siblings continued into their adulthood even as they left home, got married, and moved to different states across the U.S. Joan was the last survivor of their family.
Joan graduated from Paseo High School. Her favorite subject in school was Art. She also loved sewing, cooking, and reading. She sang in a Baptist church choir and met the love of her life there, Glenn Albert Howell. He waited after church one day and asked if he could give her a ride home. They met in January 1954, was engaged in February 1954, and was married on May 14, 1954.
They lived in Independence, MO, where they started a family with their first child, a daughter Robyn born a year after their marriage, a second daughter Lisa born 5 years later, and a son Wesley born 3 years later. In 1965, they moved into a bigger house in Tomasha Village in Independence, MO, then in 1972, they moved to Country Club Gardens in Blue Springs, MO, when 7 Hwy was just a narrow 2 lane road. All 3 children graduated from Blue Springs High School.
Joan started working at New York Life Insurance Company in downtown Kansas City, MO, in the mid 1950’s while raising 3 children. She would walk 5 blocks from her house on Sheley Road in a dress and high heels to the bus stop, come rain or shine. She spent the majority of her career working as a claims adjuster and then as a supervisor. She retired from NYL 30 years later. Her husband Glenn died in 1986 after 32 years of marriage and she moved to Raymore, MO, and then to Belton, MO. Joan went back to work at GEHA for a few years and then quit in 1989 to babysit her granddaughter, Lauren Coleman.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and her husband. She leaves her 3 children Robyn Howell of Port Richey, FL, Wes Howell of Hudson, FL, and Lisa Coleman of Belton, MO (spouse Ron Coleman), 2 granddaughters Lauren Coleman of Belton, MO (spouse Brian Peters) and Karen Coleman of Belton, MO (spouse John Tripaldi), and 2 great grandchildren Mason and Madelyn Peters. Her family will remember Joan as a caring and loving mother and grandmother, who was a polite lady with a sense of humor that would take you by surprise and make you laugh, and who always had something tasty cooking in the kitchen. We will miss her greatly and hold her in our hearts forever.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.speakschapel.com
(Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600)