Floren, Joan Barbara Joan Barbara Floren entered the world June 16, 1953. Departed to God's embrace Thursday, March 25, 2021 surrounded by her loving family. From an early age, Joan learned at the hands of her farm-wife mother that food was more than fuel, it could be nourishment and celebration, that gardens were more than toil they should be beauty and bounty and from her father that any task worth doing was worth doing well. To this life shaping legacy she added her own boundless energy, creativity and a natural, un-fussy beauty. As a young single Mom (daughter Jenny) her first job in publishing led to a production manager position at a growing Minneapolis ad agency. It was there she met future husband David who shyly indicated his interest by nudging her chair as he passed by to the coffee machine. From that inauspicious start came an action packed marriage of 38 years and, to the couples wonder, a new family. They had been living the young, professional good life when they realized something was missing: more kids. New additions Matthew and Erik joined Darcy, Liz and Daniel from David's previous marriage and Joan's Jennifer. Joan's caring nature knit this yours-mine-and-ours family together so that none of the siblings use the qualifier "step-". With family duties calling, Joan quit the ad biz to devote full time to Super Mom. No, not the helicopter kind but the kind that prepared a fully home cooked dinner for the table every evening. And the kind that became a willing volunteer at school activities, not-for-profit fund raisers and charity events. She and a gang of "volunteers" once decorated a ball room for 650 dinner guests in 2 days on a shoe string. And, it was perfect. The fully engaged home life soon ignited her other creative passions. There was entertaining. Her holiday dinner parties were the stuff of legend. Gardening, whether at home, the cabin or farm produced food and beauty. Jewelry design, knitting and sewing; her drop dead gorgeous gowns at holiday balls wore the haute couture label "Joan of All Trades". Music, from singing in school stage productions to years in the St Philip the Deacon church choir including a memorable choir performance at Carnegie Hall. Somehow she found hours in the day for all of these and much more without lessening her devotion to family and close friends. In fact, it was with this remarkable energy, this lust for life, that Joan met her first diagnosis of cancer. She was unblinking, uncomplaining and courageous. Perhaps if there is a single way to remember Joan it is that cancer did not defeat her. Yes, it brought pain and yes, it shortened her years much to the grief of those she leaves behind. But she refused to let it dictate the terms of her life. She credits the Mayo Clinic for giving her three good years and she filled them with love and giving, Hers was a life well lived. She wasted not a day. She brightened many hearts. We will not see her like again. Joan was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Marjorie Teufert. Sister Nancy and brother David. Survived by husband David, sister Judy (Gary MacManus) and children Jennifer (Joe) Disharoon, Daniel (Jennifer) Floren, Matthew (Kirsten) Floren and Erik (Ali Oltmans) Floren and six grandchildren: Cassie. Alex, Dennis, Sean, Sam, Maddie and one on the way this summer.. Visitation will be held at the David Lee Funeral Home 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Tuesday, April 6, 1220 Wayzata Blvd. East, Wayzata, MN 55391. Face masks and social distancing required. A private memorial service for family at St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church will take place Wednesday, April 7, 2021 and available live-streamed at spdlc.org/livestream. Joan would be grateful if memorials were directed to Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP)
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