Joan Drabeck

ST. GEORGE, UT - Joan Drabeck, age 78, passed peacefully on July 7, 2024, after a valiant fight with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. She was born on July 27, 1945, to Kenneth and Mary (Schrems) Boensch in Saginaw, MI. She was a 1963 graduate of Saginaw’s Buena Vista High School. Soon afterward, she moved with her husband, William Houghtaling, to Anchorage, AK. They had two children, Dawn and Bert Houghtaling. After her divorce, she met Robert Drabeck, and they were married in 1989. Joan worked in accounting, first working at William’s business, B.T. Service & Supply, and later at Home Savings & Loans. She was also a real estate agent in Alaska. In 1989, Joan and Robert began their lifelong dream of traveling the United States in a motorhome. They traveled for ten years, seeing all of the 50 states. In 1999, they bought a house in Las Vegas, and Joan returned to work in the accounting department at Del Webb Home Builders for six years. They then moved to the quiet retirement community of Sun River in St. George, Utah, for the remainder of their lives. In retirement, just like her mother, she volunteered at the local Catholic thrift store. Besides her family, Joan’s other passions include cruising, where she has taken over 25 cruises worldwide. She loved making cards and had an entire craft room dedicated to it. Over the years, she’s been a Girl Scout Leader and part of the Red Hat’s Society. She loved camping, gardening, ceramics, crafts, sewing, dancing, entertaining, and animals and was an excellent cook. She’ll be missed most for her kind heart, fun spirit, and always being there to listen. Joan is survived by her children, Dawn Houghtaling Dalton (Jeff) of Arlington Heights, IL, and Bert Houghtaling of Big Lake, AK; two stepchildren, Wendy Drabeck Johnson (Roy) of Colorado Springs, CO, and William Drabeck (Janna Tait) of Ivins, UT; seven grandchildren, two great- grandchildren, and brothers Ron Boensch (Katie) of Wasilla, AK, Larry Boensch (Gloria) of Birch Run, MI, Dennis Boensch of Burt, MI, and Bob Boensch of Wasilla, AK. Joan was preceded in death by her husbands, William Houghtaling and Robert Drabeck; her parents, Kenneth and Mary Boensch; her brother, Thomas Boensch; and stepson, Robert Drabeck Jr. The family would like to thank close friends Kathy and Michael Salas and their daughter Michelle Homewood for all their support through the years. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 16th, at 11 a.m. at Saint George Catholic Church, 259 West 200 North, St. George, UT. Immediately following the service, lunch will be served at Kuzy Hall adjacent to the church. Friends and family are invited to share condolences online at www.serenitystg.com. Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah will provide arrangements and a memorial tree planting. At a later date, the final interment will be in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Colorado Springs, CO.

Joan Drabeck

July 27, 1945 - July 7, 2024