Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Joan Kauppila, 85, passed away Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at Delaware Valley Hospital, Walton, finally succumbing to her long battle with cancer.
Joan was born in Elmira to Joseph Matejka and Helen Kvasnicka on Aug. 14, 1939. Joan graduated from Van Etten High School and then followed her high school sweetheart Ron to Ithaca college, where she graduated in 1959 with a degree in physical education and a minor in math. Soon after, the two were married on Oct. 10, 1959.
Joan’s first job was as a physical education teacher at Cato Meridian and Port Byron Central Schools before settling in Walton in 1968, where she spent most of the next 25 years as an elementary school teacher. It was Walton where Ron and Joan raised their family and called home for the rest of her life.
Joan loved sports and was a passionate Walton Warrior fan, attending countless matches in every sport over the decades. She loved seeing her former elementary school students compete in their high school years, and especially loved watching her three boys succeed in cross country, basketball, baseball, and tennis.
Joan retired from teaching in 1994 and spent her retirement winters in Florida. The rest of the year Joan could be found traveling around the country watching her grandchildren compete and visiting friends and family. Joan was an avid golfer and achieved the noteworthy highlight of not one, but TWO holes-in-one!
Joan is survived by her loving husband Ronald; her sister Jackie Reither and husband Glen and family of Margaretville; brother Joseph Matejka and wife Leslie and family of Horseheads; three sons, Brian (Maritza) of Miami, Florida, Craig of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Gary (Mary Anne) of Delray Beach, Florida, and grandchildren Clarissa, Noah, Jacob, and Simon, and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Courtney Funeral Home with calling hours at 11 a.m., service at 12, followed by a reception at Danny’s Restaurant in Walton.
A private burial at Walton Cemetery will immediately follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions (checks only) made in Joan’s memory can be sent to Walton Central School Athletic Dept., 47 Stockton Ave, Walton, NY 13856.
Arrangements are with Courtney Funeral Home, 25 Townsend Street, Walton. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.courtneyfh.com
