Mrs. Joan Hetzel, of West Bend, passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, April 17, 2023, at Waukesha Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. She was 78 years old.

Joan was born in Sheboygan on December 8, 1944, daughter of Orville and Elizabeth (nee Hohnberger) Stimes. She grew up in Sheboygan Falls, and graduated from Sheboygan Falls High School.

On September 14, 1968, she married the love of her life Donald Hetzel at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Sheboygan Falls. He preceded her in death in 2014.

Joan worked as a data analyst for Allen Bradley and later Rockwell Automation in Cedarburg for over 25 years. She was a longtime member of the Ozaukee Chapter #147 Order of the Eastern Star, and a very active member of the West Bend Senior Citizens Activities Center. Joan kept a very busy social calendar. She enjoyed playing cards, including euchre, 500, and cribbage. She also enjoyed playing bingo and dominos, scrapbooking and making her friends and family homemade cards.

Joan is survived by her two daughters Laura (Fiancé Joseph Pollard) Hetzel and Kristin (Aaron Baker) Hetzel, her stepdaughter Dawn (Jerry) Carter, nine grandchildren: Collin, Jade, Haylee, Presley, Trevor, Alyssa, Caleb, Michael and Lisa. She is further survived by her sister Carol (the late Donald) Gahagan, two stepsisters Marlys (Frank) Lohr and Karen (the late John Michael) Murphy, and one sister-in-law Betty Stimes, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents Orville and Elizabeth, her husband Donald, her grandson Hunter, her brother Lee Stimes, her sister Rachel Stimes, stepbrothers Robert and Eugene Herber, and stepsister Patricia Lohse.

Funeral services for Joan will be celebrated on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 7 PM at the Eernisse Funeral Home, 1600 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington.

A visitation will precede the funeral service at the funeral home on Monday, April 24th from 5-7 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Ozaukee Masonic Lodge.

The Eernisse Funeral Home, Port Washington, is honored to serve the family. Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com.