Joan Faye Davis Kresl

1927 - 2012

Joan Faye Davis Kresl died at home with her family on Jan. 8, 2012, in Winter Garden, Fla.
She was born on Oct. 23, 1927, in Eau Claire, Wisc. She put herself through college and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She taught kindergarten through 10th grade in a one-room school house in Illinois before joining a government program in August 1953 to teach at Ramey Air Force Elementary School in Puerto Rico. It was in Puerto Rico where she met the love of her life, John Kresl, an Air Force navigator. They married August 7, 1955. She had four children - Gregory, Kevin, Elizabeth and Blake. She moved with John and the kids to Air Force bases in Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, Turkey, Utah and Hawaii, before settling in Shalimar, Fla. She resumed her teaching career in the 1970s at Longwood Elementary School in Shalimar, where she taught third grade until she retired in 1990.
John and Joan were always known by the kids and their friends as the parents who loved young people. They welcomed all who entered their doors. Their house on Poquito Bayou was known as the house to always come home to. Known as "Gigi" to her grandchildren, she went out of her way to be an active, consistent and loving presence in each of their lives. Joan was a voracious reader and passionate and knowledgeable about politics.
She was preceded in death by her cherished husband, John Kresl; and sons, Greg and Kevin Kresl. Survivors include daughter, Beth Prince, and son-in-law, Greg Prince, of Winter Garden; and son, Blake Kresl, and daughter-in-law, Lisa Kresl, of Dallas; as well as grandchildren, Kelly, Brett and Rebecca Prince, and Lucie and Will Kresl.
A graveside service in memory of Joan Kresl will be Saturday, March 17, at 1 p.m. at Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Friends of the Shalimar Public Library, 610th Ave., Shalimar, FL 32579.