Joan was one of 8 siblings, the second oldest of 7 girls and a brother.  The family grew up in Collingswood, NJ, and later moved to Oaks, PA.  Joan's mother, Martha, was a nurse and her father, Joe, a career railroad, man.  Joan graduated from Montgomery Community College in Pottstown, PA in 1970 and married George Strehle in 1971, moving to Washington, DC shortly thereafter to begin a career with GEICO Insurance company while her husband continued his career with the Federal Government.  Joan worked as a Supervisory Claims Manager and in 1998 transferred to Nashville, TN, becoming a supervisor with the Tennessee State Insurance Commissioner.

In 1982 another transfer by her husband landed Joan back in Washington, DC, for two years, then to Manhattan Beach, CA where she joined the Defense Department conducting high level security clearances on military personnel and civilian contractors.  In late 1995, Joan was diagnosed with a bout of thyroid cancer which was successfully treated, then, still employed by DOD, transferred again back to Washington, DC, until George retired in 1998. 

Joan transferred ,one final time in 1999 to Boca Raton, FL, where she retired in 2006, spending her time traveling, gardening, particularly raising orchards, and volunteer work.  On July 19, 2013, however, prior to a much awaited trip to Alaska, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer and began intensive chemo therapies and surgeries at M.D. Anderson in Orlando, FL, where she and her husband stayed until the day before Thanksgiving, 2014 when she was declared in remission.  A seeming normal life resumed with travel and enjoyable experiences with family, friends and neighbors, and learning to golf.

Having had enough of Florida and longing  for a place a little further north that had real "seasons," both decided on Fayetteville, GA and moved into a beautiful house in August 2015 with plenty of gardens, fruit and flowering trees, and roses.

Her remission was short-lived, however, when she again was diagnosed with the cancer having returned in February, 2016, where she began treatments and another surgery.  For the next 3 years Joan continued battling with the same spirit as she had from the very outset.  After some 5 1/2 years of treatments, Joan's cancer flared up very aggressively in the last couple of months, and quickly and finally claimed a very brave and beautiful lady, peacefully at home, on February 27, 2019. Thankfully, she suffered little and even enjoyed the company of visiting family and friends right up to the end.  She died while her husband held her head in his hand,  and with her sister-in-law and best friend for 48 years, Theresa Hughes, holding her hand.

She is survived by her husband,George, her mother,Martha Quigley; her sisters, Lynn Ellis, Ann Quigley, Elaine Hofmann, Carol Royce, Susan and Michael Quigley.