Obituaries

November 19, 1927 – January 8, 2020 Joan Rauch Praver passed away on January 8, 2020 while sleeping at Belmont Village in Calabasas. Born November 19, 1927 and raised in Far Rockaway, New York. She was the sole child, of parents Syde and Benjamin Rauch. Joan outlived her loving husband, Edwin Praver, by exactly 1 year and a month. Joan and Ed were married on June 19, 1948 and raised 3 sons. They met at Ohio State University. Joan was the glue that kept the boys in line, which was common practice at the time. Ed was the breadwinner and left a good deal of the household responsibilities to her. She was a fantastic cook, strict disciplinarian and kept the house immaculately. While following Ed around from the East Coast to the Midwest and ultimately to California, she was involved in community theater where she enjoyed singing and acting in roles like Adelaide, from Guys and Dolls. You could often hear her singing tunes from various plays she participated in and songs from her many summers attending camp. Joan was always busy with a multitude of activities, beyond taking care of Ed, their three sons and the home. Involved with Jewish Federation where she was given the Golda Meir Award, B’nai B’rith and most recently as a board member and teacher at Beit T’Shuvah, a 12-step residential addiction facility, in Culver City, California. She was well suited and very much at home at Beit T’Shuvah until about 2 years prior to her passing, when she realized that she, as her mother, was suddenly dealing with the effects of dementia. Joan leaves behind her three sons (Stephen, David and Paul), daughters-in-law Susan and April, grandchildren Tori, Rachel and Eden, great-grandchildren Ryan and Phoenix. She also leaves behind so many others that were fortunate to meet and learn from her and experience a true enthusiasm for life and selfless giving to those she could. Our gratitude and thanks to the caregivers at Belmont Calabasas. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Beit T’Shuvah. A memorial service will be held at Hillside Memorial Park located at 6001 Centinela Avenue in Culver City on Monday the 13th at 11:00 am.