Joan Carol Inga

Joan Carol Inga, 67, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2014 at her residence in Glendale, CA after battling Parkison's Disease for 13 years. She leaves behind three devoted children who thought the world of her: Christopher, Gregory, and Julie Inga. Also survivng are her mother, Beatrice Weiner of Pebble Beach; her sisters, Andrea Harrod (Hershel) of Monterey, Virginia Malzkuhn (Brian) of Fremont, and Elizabeth Rose Weiner of Aptos, CA; and her "ya-ya" sisters, Colleen Cotti, Belinda Guttman, and Joanne Kuzma. She was preceded in death by her father, Edward Weiner, her sister, Karen Weiner and her daughter, Michelle Inga.

Joan was born in Berkeley, CA on February 20, 1947 to Betty and Ed Weiner. She grew up on the Monterey Peninsula where she attended Junipero Memorial High School in Monterey (until the nuns deemed her too wild) and then transfered to and graduated from Carmel High School. She attended college at Cal Poly Pomona University where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1969.

After many years of mentoring foster children, Joan dedicated over 20 years of her career to the Burbank Unified School District as a Counselor where she won numerous awards and letters of excellence for her devotion to helping the community's youth.

Joan was known and loved for her wicked and witty sense of humor that had the ability to charm even the most square person (not counting the nuns at Junipero High). During her years in several hospitals, she was always one of the most fun and popular patients and was known as the "woman who keeps trying to sneak out for margaritas". Even during her latter years, she still made her family, friends, and nurses cry from laughter.

Joan lived a life of miraculous and heroic strength. She was more of an inspiration to her family, friends, and community than anything that could have been shown on paper. After her two-time battle with Hodgkins Disease in her 40s, she immediately went back to work to support her family, made time to raise her three kids and to focus on her health by exercising and dancing everyday. Even during her recovery from chemotherapy, she went back to school and earned her Master's Degree in Educational Psychology. After she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2001 and until the time she passed, Joan remained a hero, a best friend, an inspiration, and the most important person in so many people's lives.

The family extends its gratitude to Windsor Manor of Glendale, CA and its dedicated and supportive staff who cared for her patiently and empathetically for the past six years.

Contributions can be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Grand Central Station , PO Box 4777, NY NY 10163