Joan Rhyner

Joan Evelyn Sorges was born in Wausau, Wisconsin on December 26, 1935. She was the only child of Lawrence and Elsie Sorges. She grew up in Wausau and met her husband there. Joan met Dale Rhyner when he was home on leave from the United States Air Force in 1955 after being set up on a blind date by his brother Bill and Joan’s childhood friend, Julie. They married the following year in 1956 and have spent 61 wonderful years together. And as Dale keeps repeating, “what a ride, what a ride” with smiles and tears of sadness. They had four children. Jeffrey Dale Rhyner, their only son passing in infancy and Joan is survived by her three daughters; Lori Leckner, Becky Mackin and Kerri Shields. Joan is also survived by two grandchildren; Mandy Collins and Jared Leckner, and three great-grandchildren: Katelyn Collins, Mackenzie Collins and Gage Leckner. They spent their early married years in Wisconsin, briefly in Minnesota and settling in Colorado to raise their daughters. Joan and Dale retired to Florida and spent almost 24 years of retirement together there. They shared a love of travel and enjoyed on 50 cruises together and visited 45 countries. Two of Dale’s favorite memories with Joan were traveling to and seeing the Midnight Sun in Finland and watching the changing of the guard together in Britain. Dale beams when he talks of their travel adventures together. Joan also had a great fondness for Hawaii and vacationed there many times. In their retirement years, they were always together. Sharing their life’s journey side by side. After Dale’s stroke last year, Joan promised Dale as an incentive she would finally agree to go on an Alaskan cruise with him, something he has longed to do. She had always refused this adventure out of a fear of whales and icebergs. Dale now says with a grin that he had no idea of the extent she would go to... to get out of that promise. Joan will be greatly missed by Dale and her family. A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, February 5, 2018 at 11am at the Horan & McConaty Family Chapel. Please share memories of Joan and condolences with her family in the guestbook below.