Joan C. Eaton
February 4, 1929 – February 21, 2026
An Open House Celebration of Life will be held on March 18, 2026, from 11:30 to 1:30 at Latitude 42 in Portage. Graveside services will be 2:30 pm Wednesday March 18, 2026, at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Twelve Baskets Food Panty co/ the funeral home.
Obituary
Beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, Joan Eaton, Age 97 of Portage, MI passed away Saturday, February 21, 2026, at StoryPoint of Portage. Joan was born February 4, 1929, in South Bend, IN the daughter of Casimer and Helen (Buzalski) Sandusky. Joan was a graduate of St. Joseph High School in South Bend and received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from St. Mary’s College in South Bend. She was a U.S. Army Nurse serving during the Korean War. Joan’s greatest loves were her faith, family, friends and her many dogs. Joan was a member of St. Monica Catholic Church and volunteered for the YMCA and Binder park Zoo, she enjoyed playing cards, taking YMCA water classes, sewing and crafts. Surviving are four children, Kathleen Fett, Nancy Chadwell, Susan (Gordon) Groves, John (Nancy) Eaton, nine grandchildren, David, James, Caitlin, Melissa, Charles, Betsy, Emily, Parker, Hailey; three great-grandchildren, Kiera, Hazel, Van; several nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by five brothers, Casimer, Jerome, Eugene, Leo and Edmund. An Open House Celebration of Life will be held on March 18, 2026, from 11:30 to 1:30 at Latitude 42 in Portage. Graveside services will be 2:30 pm Wednesday March 18, 2026, at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Twelve Baskets Food Panty co/ the funeral home.
To all Joan’s family, My sincere condolences to all. I’ve known Joan since she was the nurse for Dr Christian and over the years at the YMCA. She was a kind and very gracious lady, always fun to chat with. May you be blessed with God’s peace and many wonderful memories. Marie Zuidema.
Sending love to the family-I will always remember Aunt JoJo and all of the crazy times we had as kids. My mom will miss her best friend. Carolyn Rupchock
Joan was such a kind, loving and caring lady. I knew Joan from the Y where she was in our water class and also did blood pressure checks too. Joan always had a smile on her face and was a good listener too😊 I was so sorry to hear the news about Joan. She was blessed to live so long and will be missed dearly. So deeply sorry My thoughts and prayers with all the family at this difficult time .Krista Montanye