Joan Marie (Huntzinger) Koppenhaver, age 94, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at the Winchester Medical Center surrounded by family.

Born on April 21, 1932, in Hegins, PA, Joan was the daughter of the late Charles Monroe Huntzinger and Alma Alverta (Smeltz) Huntzinger. She graduated from Tri-Valley High School in Hegins before earning her Bachelor of Arts degree from West Chester State Teacher’s College.

On July 27, 1957, Joan married her beloved husband, Andrew Alfred Koppenhaver, in Hegins, PA. Together, they shared 57 beautiful years of marriage until his passing on May 17, 2015.
Joan dedicated her life to music and education. She touched the lives of many children as an elementary school music teacher in New Jersey, New York, and Maryland, and later as a self-employed piano teacher. She was past president of the Bowie Music Teachers Association and served on the board of the Maryland State Music Teachers Association. For twenty years, she sang and piano-accompanied the Bowie Sounds of Music which performed at The White House, Pentagon, and Union Station in DC, and at the capital in Annapolis, MD.

Joan also volunteered in the Maryland school system’s Head Start program, and tutored incarcerated youth at the Waxter Children’s Center in Laurel, MD.

Joan was a woman of deep faith and a devoted member of her churches, including service as organist and choir member, bible school teacher, and church council member.

Joan is survived by her three sons: Andrew “Skip” Koppenhaver of Sterling, VA, Mark Koppenhaver (Brenda) of Shenandoah Junction, WV; and Timothy Koppenhaver (Allison) of Moseley, VA.

She was the cherished grandmother of seven grandchildren: Benjamin Koppenhaver (Jenna), Rebecca Koppenhaver, Kristy Barrett (Greg), Kyle Koppenhaver (Sarah), Hunter Koppenhaver, Brooke Nichols (Justin), and Colleen Birkmeyer (Chris). She is also survived by eleven precious great-grandchildren: Brent, Blake, Brooks, Berek, Jack, Isabella, Charlotte, Abigail, Mitchell, Cameron, and Claire; as well as her sister, Deanna Dietz.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Andrew, and her four brothers, Wilbur, Maynard, Woody, and Charles Huntzinger.

A visitation will be held on September 12, 2026 at 10:00 followed by a memorial service at 11:00, all held at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winchester. Officiating will be Pastor Martha Miller Sims. A time of food and fellowship will follow at the Godfrey Miller Center.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Joan’s honor to the Godfrey Miller Center at godfreymillercenter.org