Joan Foutz Obituary

Joan Kathryn Sorensen was born on June 15, 1931, in Detroit Michigan, to Severin Lund Sorensen and Kate Mary Romney, the third of their three daughters. At the death of Joan's mother in December 1931, Joan and her older sisters Dorothy and Elizabeth were sent to Severin's sister and brother-in-law, Marie S. and Walter T. Pyper who later adopted Joan. Joan grew up in Salt Lake City, graduating from East High School and later the University of Utah with a physical education degree in June of 1952. She and Kent Leslie Foutz were married that same month, and their family grew to eventually include six children. The family lived at various times in Utah, Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, but since 1970, they considered Longmont their home. Joan filled her life with the people and activities she loved. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and used her talents to bless many lives. From childhood she was an accomplished pianist, and served as pianist and organist for her local congregations for decades. She also served as a teacher and leader with the women's and young women's church groups, as well as teaching adult Sunday School classes. Joan was committed to physical activity for most of her life. As a physical education teacher, she enjoyed teaching kids of all ages about rules and skills of various sports and recreational activities. One life-changing teaching assignment was in rural Mississippi as a PE teacher with all black students. This presented many cultural challenges, but also provided her students with a unique educational experience. Joan loved to garden, and during her retirement years achieved certification as a Master Gardener. She enjoyed serving as a coach and consultant to friends and family who sought gardening support, and one year was honored to have her garden selected for a stop on an annual garden tour fund-raising event. She was a long-time member of the Boulder Chorale. A life-time highlight for Joan and Kent was the Chorale's performance tour of Europe, including a concert in Salzburg, Austria. Joan shared her love of physical fitness in the form of outdoor recreation including swimming and camping, with everyone who knew her. She was an avid baker and cook, and other gifts included sewing and knitting. She gifted family and friends over many years with hand-knit custom sweaters, and also helped support the family as a professional seamstress at Alpine Designs and Camp 7. After retiring from professional sewing, she became an accomplished quilter, designing and creating countless quilts and other artistic patchwork pieces. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Kent Leslie Foutz, her oldest son, Walt Foutz and a granddaughter, Whitney Platt. Other family who also preceded her were her sisters Dorothy Ferry and Elizabeth Flenniken, and her brothers Lund and Griffith Sorensen. She is survived by her sisters Marie Doutré and Deena Sorensen. Joan's surviving children are Kay (Walt) Foutz, Katy Foutz Lyons, Steven and Jeri Foutz, Mimi and Carl Hansen, Jane Platt Foutz and Bobbi and Monte Deere. She has 24 surviving grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. Joan will be interred with her husband Kent Foutz at Ft Logan Military Cemetery.