Joan May Wantz

Joan May (Stiely) Wantz, age 89 died July, 2, 2026, at Atlee Hill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Westminster. Born December 6, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Vernon A Stiely and Doris (Tracey) Stiely. She was the loving wife of the late James A Wantz for nearly 70 years. They would have celebrated their anniversary on August 12. Jim and Joan lived a wonderful life for so many years and died only 5 days apart. A beautiful love story closed its final chapter with only a brief separation on this earthly journey. Joan and Jim were the inseparable duo.

Joan was a force of nature; she loved talking to anyone and was quite a character. She was strong willed and resilient after a hard childhood. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. “Joanie” was well loved by her family and friends and coworkers alike.

Joan is survived by children, Stephen A. Wantz and wife Kathy of Westminster, MD and Gregory V. Wantz and wife Karen of Westminster. Loving grandfather to Elizabeth (Wantz) Chaney and husband Jeff of Taneytown, Ashley (Wantz) Stahl and husband Jason of Westminster, Jessica Wantz of Church Hill, and Kevin Wantz of Essex. Loving great-grandfather to Emma, Ryan, and Peyton Chaney of Taneytown and Laney, Wesley, and Lucy Stahl of Westminster. She was also Godmother to Gail Lawyer Norris and an aunt to numerous nieces and a nephew.

She was also predeceased by her sister Ann E. Fletcher, brother Douglas V. Stiely, sister Carol (Stiely) Stonesifer, grandparents Thomas and Ethel Tracey and Gussie Stiely, sister-in-law Jean (Wantz) Lawyer and her husband Phil Lawyer, and nephew Dr. Kevin Lawyer.

Joan graduated from Taneytown Junior Senior High School in 1956. Joan worked in her early years as a secretary at Cambridge Rubber Company in Taneytown, was a Car-Hop at Willow Farms Dairy Bar, a clerk in the Taneytown Drug Store and the Rob Ellen gift store in Taneytown. Joan retired after 32 years as a secretary for the superintendent and the student services department of Carroll County Public Schools. She loved to sing, mow grass on her John Deere Tractor, do all kinds of lawn and garden work and worked with her husband Jim in his drafting business for over sixty years. Joan loved a good cup of coffee or to go out for a Gin and Tonic or White Russian.

She loved her privacy on their ten acres of land she and Jim purchased and lived on all their married life so much so that traveling was not of much interest to them. She also enjoyed spending time with her family and most of all, spending time with her four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Joan loved and cherished the time she spent with her much beloved husband Jim, her soul mate. When you saw Jim, you always saw Joan- they were inseparable. They even retired together in 1995 from their place of employment- Carroll County Board of Education. They were high school sweethearts and married right out of high school.

Joan carried the banner and played the saxophone in the Westminster Municipal Band alongside her late husband Jim and their two sons Steve and Greg, who are also members of the band.

Joan was a devoted member of Baust United Church of Christ in Tyrone, Maryland all of her married life. She enjoyed planting flower beds at the church and helping her husband with his cemetery caretaking duties.

She was also a member of the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Company.

Interment will be private and a celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Pleasant Valley Fire Company, 2030 South Pleasant Valley Rd, Westminster, MD 21158 or Westminster Municipal Band, PO Box 11, Westminster, MD 21157.