Sister Joan (Joan Dorothy) Kuester died at Seton Residence in Evansville, Indiana, on July 11, 2026. Sister was born on March 3, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri and is one of two children of August Henry and Albertina Philomena (Schenk) Kuester. She graduated from Labouré High School and DePaul School of Nursing in St. Louis and entered the Daughters of Charity in 1965. Sister also received a BSN in Nursing from Marillac College, an MHA in Hospital Administration from Saint Louis University, and an MPS in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
After initial formation, Sister Joan served as an ICU Staff nurse at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville, Indiana and in Nursing Service-Orthopedics and Director of Nursing Service at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri. Sister also had a hospital administrator residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. She then served as Assistant Administrator at Hotel Dieu in New Orleans, St. Vincent’s Hospital in St. Louis, and DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Missouri until 1981 when she was assigned to be Provincial Treasurer for the Daughters of Charity at Marillac Provincialate. Sister Joan then served as Senior Vice President at Holy Cross Hospital in then Operations Vice President at Seton Medical Center, both in Austin, Texas. Sister next served as Fund Development Assistant at Marillac Provincialate in St. Louis, Assistant Vice President at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Board Chair and Executive Director Regional Foundation at Daughters of Charity National Health System-West Central in St. Louis, Executive Director of the Daughters of Charity Foundation in Clayton, Missouri and St. Louis, and Executive Director of Marillac Mission Fund in St. Louis until she came to Seton Residence in Evansville to serve in the Ministry of Prayer.
A Wake Service was held in Seton Residence Chapel on Monday, July 20, and the Mass of Christian Burial took place the following day, July 21, in Seton Chapel. Burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery, Evansville.
Sister was preceded in death by her parents, and she is survived by her sister, Annette Marie Kopp, other loving family members, her Sisters in Community, and many friends.