Joan Patricia Siefers Obituary May 20, 2026 | Madison, WI
Joan Patricia Siefers, 79, of Madison, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Joan Patricia Siefers was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and a cherished pillar of her community. With her gentle kindness, radiant smile, and unwavering faith, Joan touched the hearts of everyone around her. She will be remembered as a woman of grace, compassion, and quiet strength who lived her life fully devoted to her family and her love for others.
A Life Well Lived
Joan Patricia (O’Brien) Siefers was born on July 15, 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family that taught her the values of faith, hard work, and generosity. After graduating from high school, Joan attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned a degree in Nursing. She began her career as a registered nurse at University Hospital in Madison, where she worked with dedication for over 38 years, specializing in pediatric care.
Countless families remember Joan as the compassionate nurse who brought comfort during difficult times and offered hope with her warm presence. Even after retiring in 2012, she continued volunteering at local clinics and church health fairs, always finding ways to care for those in need.
Joan married her high school sweetheart, Richard “Rick” Siefers, in 1968. Together they built a beautiful life in Madison filled with love, laughter, and family traditions. She was an active member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, where she sang in the choir, taught CCD classes, and organized many parish events. Joan also enjoyed gardening, reading historical novels, baking her famous Irish soda bread, and spending summers at the family cabin on Lake Wisconsin.
Her greatest joy was being with her family. She was the heart of every holiday gathering, the storyteller who kept family history alive, and the loving grandmother who never missed a school play or soccer game.
Surviving Family Members
Joan is survived by her devoted husband of 58 years, Richard Siefers of Madison; her children: daughter Kathleen (Michael) Reilly of Milwaukee, son Patrick (Jennifer) Siefers of Madison, and daughter Maureen (Thomas) Gallagher of Chicago; her beloved grandchildren: Liam, Sean, Erin, and Bridget Reilly, Ryan and Claire Siefers, and Megan and Connor Gallagher; and many loving siblings, nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Patrick and Mary O’Brien, and her brother, James O’Brien.
Funeral Details and Arrangements
A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Joan Patricia Siefers will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Madison, with Father Daniel McCarthy officiating. The family will receive friends on Monday, May 25, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Cress Funeral Home.
Interment will take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Madison. Pallbearers will include her sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to St. Patrick Catholic Church or to the American Cancer Society in Joan’s loving memory.
A Heartfelt Tribute
Joan Patricia Siefers lived a life defined by love and service. She had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel important and cared for. Whether comforting a sick child at the hospital, baking cookies with her grandchildren, or offering a listening ear to a friend in need, Joan gave from her heart without hesitation.
She taught her children the beauty of faith, the importance of family bonds, and the grace found in everyday kindness. Her warm hugs, infectious laugh, and gentle wisdom created a home filled with joy and security. Even in her later years, Joan’s eyes would light up when surrounded by her growing family, and she cherished every moment spent together.
Though our hearts are heavy with sorrow, we find peace knowing Joan has entered the arms of her Heavenly Father, reunited with loved ones who passed before her. Her spirit of love, faith, and compassion will continue to live on through her family and all whose lives she touched so beautifully.
Condolences and Guestbook
The Siefers family warmly invites friends and loved ones to share memories, stories, and words of comfort in the guestbook below. These tributes will be treasured as they celebrate Joan’s beautiful life and support the family through their grief.
