Joan Ruth Vanderkloot Stevens

Joan Ruth Vanderkloot Stevens, age 86, of Orland Park, IL, formerly of Jacksonville, FL and Chicago, IL, beloved wife of the late Daniel Winfield Stevens III, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2017. Loving mother of Sue (Jim) Goril, Nancy Vandertoll, and Amy (David) Shawen. Proud grandmother of Kendra (Joel) Baise, CJ (Megan) Goril, Chelsea (Mitch) Schlagbaum, Cooper Shawen, and Nathan Shawen. Great grandmother of Colin, Kinley, and Weston Baise, and Brinley Schlagbaum. Dear sister of Donna Westphal, loving sister-in-law to John (Marilyn) Stevens and the late Clare (Sam) Pierce, fond aunt to many nieces and nephews. Joan was born on March 18, 1930 and raised in Chicago, the daughter of the late Donald and Ruth (Binyon) Vanderkloot, graduated from South Shore High School and Morgan Park Junior College. Following college, Joan’s proudest accomplishment was working as a Stewardess for United Airlines, stationed in Los Angeles. She loved living on the west coast and had a cast appearance in a film promoting the excitement of working as a Stewardess for United. Joan retired in 1954 to marry her high school sweetheart Dan following his discharge from the Army. Joan worked as a lab technician at St James Hospital in Chicago Heights while raising her 3 daughters in South Holland and did a “damn good job” as her husband Dan would say. Joan and Dan loved to entertain and host dinner parties. Being in the advertising and incentive business Dan was responsible for entertaining clients all over the world, and travel they did – from Hawaii to London, Ireland, Russia, the Bahamas and places in between, collecting an impressive home full of antiques along the way. Eventually they landed in Jacksonville, FL where Joan was an active member and officer of Beta Sigma Phi philanthropic sorority. She and Dan enjoyed boating and were members of The Captain’s Club of Jacksonville. Joan was also an active member of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Following Dan’s death, Joan eventually moved back to the Chicago area to be near her family where she was able to enjoy the companionship of her busy great-grandchildren and their families. Joan will certainly be missed by her family and friends but is certain to be entertaining and visiting with those dear to her who have gone before her where it’s always 5:00 somewhere. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington DC 20090-6011 or online at ALZ.org A private interment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.