Joan M. (Terry) Beiler, 80, of Emmaus and formerly of Boyertown, died Sept. 25, 2015, at her home surrounded by her family after battling pancreatic cancer. She was the wife of Richard E. Beiler. They celebrated 58 years of marriage in December. Born in Lancaster, she was the daughter of the late F. Gilbert and Miriam (Rutt) Terry.

She graduated from New Holland High School in 1953 and from the Reading Hospital School of Nursing in 1956. She was a life member of the Reading Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association. Her 45 years of nursing included working in hospitals in Pottstown for 15 years, Graterford Correctional Institution medical department for 11 years, Manatawny Manor Nursing Home, Pottstown for eight years and 10 years of private duty nursing for Professional Nursing Services of Valley Forge.

She was a member of The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Emmaus.

She was an ardent supporter of and participant in marching and concert band music and was an accomplished pianist. In high school she was very active in band and also played clarinet in the Victory Band of New Holland. After raising her family she became active playing in the New Holland Band and the Pottstown Band. She joined the Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit shortly after it was formed in 1976 and was honored to be the music librarian for 30 years. She continued playing clarinet with the alumni band until she became ill in 2013.

She and her husband toured all of the 48 lower states, plus Canada and numerous European countries. She spent a month in the British Isles during which she spent a week in England with her pen pal of 68 years, with whom she corresponded from age 12 to the present.

She enjoyed reading, crossword and jigsaw puzzles and watching football.

She is survived by her husband; daughters, Kathleen and her husband Michael Dochter, of Adamstown and Debra and her husband Alan Seidel, of Vesta, Minn.; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; brother, Robert and his wife Shirley Terry, of Sarasota, Fla. and sister-in-law, Betty Terry, of Ocean Ridge, Fla., widow of J. Michael Terry.

Contributions may be made to The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd., Emmaus, 18049 or to The Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit, Box 193, Boyertown, 19512.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Oct. 3 at the Linwood W. Ott Funeral Home, Inc., 111 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown, 19512 with the Rev. Ric Elliott officiating. Friends may call at the funeral home 10 to 11 a.m. Oct. 3.