Joan Marie Benson, 80

Joan Marie Sonnefeld Benson was born Sept. 26, 1944, in Detroit, Mich., to George Sonnefeld and May Jean Moffit. She passed away Monday, July 21, 2025.

Joan graduated from Shrine High School in 1962 and immediately began working for Michigan Bell Telephone. In 1964, she moved to San Francisco during the “Haight Ashbury” days and enjoyed many good times and adventures in that vibrant environment. San Francisco is also where she met her future husband, Bob Benson, on a blind date.

Bob and Joan were married in April of 1973 and bought a home in the San Francisco suburb of Concord, where they lived until moving to Idaho in early 1988. During this time, Joan developed a career in real estate administration and became vice-president of a large Bay Area firm. Never able to have children, Joan and Bob developed a very close bond and traveled extensively to Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Alaska, France, Italy and England. They also took a three-month RV trip across the United States. In January 1988, they decided to move to the small town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where Bob became a contractor and Joan continued to work in the real estate field she loved. In 1990, she was named the top administrator for the eastern division of REMAX Pacific Northwest. She was also active, along with her husband, Bob, in the North Idaho Building Contractors’ Association and volunteered at the Humane Society. Joan served for many years as the treasurer of Leisure Park Homeowners’ Association, and she was a longtime member of Unity Spiritual Center of North Idaho.

Joan’s soul mate, Bob, passed away in 2009. She is survived by her longtime friend and partner, Don Tibbs; sister-in-law Carol Sonnefeld; nephew Kirk Sonnefeld; and three nieces: Katie, Krista and Kasey.

In Joan’s own words, describing herself: “I am a liberal, easy-going, sensitive, kind, extremely honest and open-minded. I love animals, dark chocolate, country music, going out to eat, small towns, homes with front porches, antiques, the Oregon Coast, metaphysics and especially taking care of someone I love.” 

At Joan’s request, no services are being held. She asked only that everyone do an act of kindness in her name.

Please visit Joan’s online memorial and sign her guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.