Joan Louise DePretto

Joan Louise DePretto
Joan Louise DePretto (Timberman), age 95, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026, at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington.
 
Joan was born on November 27, 1930, in Huron, South Dakota, to her mother, Sarah Alice Davies Timberman. She later graduated from Oregon City High School, where she met her future husband, Carl DePretto. The two were high school sweethearts and were married on August 25, 1951, beginning a lifelong partnership rooted in love, commitment, and family.
 
As a military wife, Joan demonstrated strength, resilience, and adaptability while supporting her family through the demands of military life. Together, Joan and Carl later became owners of a 7-Eleven franchise, working side by side with determination and pride. Known for being tough, patient, kind, and a woman of high integrity, Joan lived her life with quiet strength and grace. She often said, “A boy’s best friend is his mother,” a phrase that reflected her deep devotion to family.
 
Joan especially loved quilting and also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting, gardening, reading, and square dancing. She took great pride in creating beautiful, handmade items for her family and home—many of which will continue to be cherished for generations.
 
She is survived by her beloved husband, Carl DePretto, and her children Kenneth (Nita), Keith (Linda), Craig, and Jim (Barb), along with many grandchildren and many more great-grandchildren. Joan was preceded in death by her mother and all of her siblings: Cole, Allen, Doris, Carol, John, Harvey, Elizabeth, and Patricia.
 
Joan will be remembered most as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and matriarch who valued family above all else. Her legacy lives on in the generations she nurtured with patience, love, and unwavering devotion.
 
A private service will be held in her honor.