Joan Wallerius Churches

oan Wallerius Churches
October 27, 1930 - April 22, 2022
Sacramento, California - It is with a heavy heart that we announce our mother, Joan Churches, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 22, 2022. She was 91 years old.

Joan was born October 27, 1930 in Sacramento to Helen (Moynihan) and Raymond Wallerius, MD. Her family lineage goes back five generations to the early days of Sacramento. Her heritage is mostly Irish with a little German.

Joan grew up in the Land Park area and attended McClatchy HS, Class of 1948. She went on to attend the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in English Literature.

After Joan graduated from college, she got a job at KCRA radio where she met her future husband, Glenn Churches. They were married in 1954 and soon after settled in the Cottage Park area in Sacramento and started a family.

Joan loved children and volunteered at the Children's Receiving Home and was active in the Junior League. She also loved animals so there were always many pets living in the family home.

Joan was a devoted mother to her three children, Lucia Churches (Dennis Colbert), Lisa Churches Wicks (Bill Wicks) and Mark Churches (Susan Richardson d: 2008). She was very active in her children's lives. While her children were young, she was a Girl Scout leader, a synchronized swimming judge for her daughters and scorekeeper for her son's Little League team. She was always there for her children, even as adults, and was the first person her adult children would call to share life events.

Later in life, Joan pursued utilizing her degree and dabbled in writing short stories. She was also active many years in the Auxiliary at American River Hospital. In her 80's, she attended classes and was confirmed at St Michael's Episcopal Church where she had attended for years.

Joan had many friends and would frequently get together with her high school girlfriends, as well as neighborhood friends from Ellington Circle. She enjoyed Bridge and was active for decades at the Sacramento Duplicate Center.

Family gatherings were an important part of Joan's life. She also enjoyed going to movies, musicals, tennis matches and SF Giant's baseball games. She was even at the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park in SF during the earthquake.

Joan was friendly to everyone and was a very warm person who had a special connection with those she met. Our lives will never be the same without her.

Joan is preceded in death by her husband, Glenn. In addition to her children, she is survived by her grandson, Connor Churches, sister, Lynn (Wallerius) Jones (Ron) and cousin, Christine (Brown) VanderPol (Ron).

Family & friends are welcome to join us in honoring our phenomenal mother, Joan Churches, in a "Celebration of Life" on Saturday, June 4 at 11am at the Milagro Event Center at 6241 Fair Oaks Blvd in Carmichael.

Donations can be made in her name to the SSPCA or the Alzheimer's Association.

Published by The Sacramento Bee on May 15, 2022.