Joy Ann (Head) Ingstad 6/3/27 – 8/23/23
Joy was born 6/3/27 in Broadwater, NE to Margaret and Hollis Willson. Her parents divorced not long afterwards, and her mother married Barney Louthan. She was such a tiny baby, she fit in a shoebox, and her family dubber her “Tiny.” Joy’s happiest times growing up were on her grandparent’s farm in Gurley, NE where she learned a lot of skills that would serve her well in life. She was infused with values of her German grandparents – grit, hard work, and determination that came with farm life of immigrants making their livelihood in the USA. Eventually, the family moved to Aberdeen, WA and finally settled in Seattle, WA where Joy graduated from Roosevelt High School. She started at the University of Washington, but pursued raising a family and establishing a homelife after marrying her high school sweetheart, Dean Ingstad. Joy and Dean had 4 children, Bob, Lin, Jeff, and Rusty. After their marriage ended, Joy remarried and had 4 more children, Lisa, Leslie, Kyle, and Krista. A woman of many talents and skills, Joy worked various jobs including working at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co., driving a pea truck, and secretarial work at Boeing; she had an incredible work ethic. Joy was an accomplished horsewoman whose skills ranged from competing in hunter jumper events, to training racehorses, to managing a thoroughbred breeding farm. Joy was a sort of Dr. Doolittle: animals loved and respecter her, no matter what type of animal, horse, dog, cat, cow, etc… she had an incredible way with animals. Joy was also an accomplished mountaineer! She took mountain climbing lessons from the legendary Willi Unsoeld and went on to the summits of Mount Rainier and Mount Shuksan. She was a perfectionist by nature, and always curious. Joy took voice lessons and was a gifted singer and piano player. Adding to her accomplishments, she was a self-taught architect, home designer, and general contractor: she remodeled one home and built three from the ground up. When Joy submitted her plans to the draftsmen for blueprints, they were in awe because her plans were so detailed, professional, and accurate, they had very little work to do on her projects. Her second marriage ended in divorce in 1986, and she never remarried. Joy loved travel, road trips with friends, visiting her kids and grandchildren, and helping to raise some of her grandchildren. Joy’s free spirit and strong will was both a blessing and a curse; she enjoyed life on her terms, but ignoring medical advice led to her eventual downfall. She moved to Eagle, ID in 2001 to be near her youngest daughter and her family. Joy was active at the Meridian Senior Center and cultivated wonderful friendships there. She regularly attended a Bible study at Calvary Chapel Boise. Joy loved Jesus, her Lord and Savior, and she is with Him now! We look forward to seeing her again!
Joy is survived by her 8 children, Bob Ingstad (Patti), Lin Lasater (Tom), Jeff Ingstad (Claire), Rusty Ingstad, Lisa Baker (Cal), Leslie Nordquist (Gary), Kyle Barker (Jason), and Krista McKenna (Paul), 17 grandchildren, and 22 great grandchildren, her nieces Gwen Moore, Jean Blackstone (Will), and nephew Gary Sparling (Mary Montgomery), and numerous cousins. Joy was a prolific woman with a sense of humor that endured through even her most difficult years – she touched many lives, and she will be deeply missed by her family. While not Joy’s ideal life, the privilege of caring for Joy in her last years was an opportunity for fun, funny, and meaningful exchanges with her family and loved ones! Vaya con Dios Mamacita!
There will be a memorial service for Joy September 29th at 11am at Calvary Chapel Boise, building 500, reception to follow at 1:30 at Julius Kleiner Park, Picnic Shelter B1 (near the Meridian Senior Center). We will be serving her favorites: waffles, clam chowder, lemon bars, key lime bars, pickles, coffee, and margaritas!
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in her name to Stanton Healthcare, https://stantonhealthcare.org/ .