Joan Elaine Shropshire

Shropshire, Joan Elaine MCFARLAND- Joan Elaine Shropshire entered into the Kingdom of Heaven on Saturday, July 18, 2015, after a lengthy battle with kidney disease. She was born on Sept. 27, 1933, in Washington D.C. and grew up in Silver Spring, Md. Joan graduated from George Washington University in 1955. She met her future husband, Dr. Richard W. Shropshire, "Shrop" from Des Moines, Iowa, during his externship in Bethesda, Md. Joan and Shrop were married April 10, 1954. They moved to Monona in 1957, a perfect community to raise their family, where Shrop practiced Family Medicine for 30+ years. Joan lived a life of service, generosity, courage and love. Lake Edge United Church of Christ was an important part of the Shropshire family where Joan served as the first woman moderator. She taught church school and served on many mission and endowment committees. Joan also served at the State and National levels and was vice president of the United Church Board for World Ministries. She served locally at the YMCA, Madison Civics Club, Dane County Battered Women's Shelter and Frost Woods Home Association. Joan was proud of her career as a "professional volunteer" and her favorite job was teaching English as a second language for 13 years. Joan and Shrop were privileged to travel around the world visiting all seven continents and 76 countries and islands. This included family vacations, church mission trips, Friendship Force adventures and birding excursions. She always shared slides, stories and memorable scrapbooks with others upon her return. She enjoyed playing bridge, watching the birds, arranging flowers, delivering Shrop's Roses and entertaining in Shrop's Soda Shop, but God, family and friends were Joan's priority. She leaves us all with a legacy of selfless, non-judgmental, unconditional love always shared with a special smile. Joan is survived by her husband of 61 years, Dr. Richard W. Shropshire; children, Mark (JoAnn), Dr. Jim, Jody (Todd) Loberg and foster daughter, Ruth and AFS son, Agustin. She is further survived and blessed by 7 grandchildren, Kate and Jake, Anders and Siri Zita Shropshire, Tavia, Tessa Joan and Luke Loberg. Joan and her family wish to particularly thank Dr. Al Musa, the staff at Oak Park Place and St. Mary's Hospital and Renal Center, Heartland Hospice and her MANY friends for their care and support. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Zita Membert. Please remember Joan by sharing her legacy of love with others to make this world a better place. A celebration of Joan's life will be held at MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5202 Cottage Grove Rd., Madison, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, July 25, 2015, with a luncheon to follow. A visitation will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Dr., Madison, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., on Thursday, July 23, 2015, and at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. Memorial gifts can be made to the Messiah Lutheran Church for purposes of a Youth College Scholarship Fund. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420