Joan Helen Byanski, 83 of Bluffton passed away Sunday evening, Oct. 26, 2025, surrounded by her family at her home.
Joan was born on April 8, 1942, in Fort Wayne to Chester and Mary Elizabeth (Murphy) Rhodes. She graduated from St. Francis University in Fort Wayne, and received her Master of Arts in education. She was a teacher and homemaker. She loved gardening and was a talented seamstress and crafter. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
On Oct. 24, 1964, Joan married Thomas Byanski at St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Fort Wayne. They were blessed to share 61 years of marriage together.
Survivors include her husband, Tom of Bluffton (former Bluffton High School principal and superintendent of Bluffton-Harrison MSD); five children, Kurt (Tina) Byanski of Bluffton, Nick (Heather) Byanski of Caledonia, Michigan, Amanda (Philippe Gagneux) of Basel, Switzerland, Emily (Nate) Shoup of Lafayette, and Elizabeth (Jim) Rigle of Mooreville, Minnesota; along with eight grandchildren, Erin, Kaitlyn, Meghan, Madison, Emma, Jacob, Isabella and Hayden; and three great-grandchildren: Sophia, Ava and Hudson. She is also survived by a sister, Kay Levine.
She is preceded in death by a son, Matthew Byanski, her parents and a sister, Sue Hartzell.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bluffton with Father David Violi celebrating Mass. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. on Thursday until the time of mass, at the church. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Bluffton.
Memorials may be made for Masses to be said or to the charity of the donor’s choice. In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family would prefer potted plants.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends may share online condolences with the family at www.thomarich.com.