Joan Jacqueline Bendezu

Joan Jacqueline Hunger de Bendezu Obituary Deceased July 14, 2026 Joan Jacqueline Hunger de Bendezu was born on June 12, 1929, at the Burlington Hospital in Burlington, Iowa. She was the fifth child and only daughter born to Wallace William Hunger and Grace (Walker) Hunger. Joan and her brother Ned, eight years her senior, shared a special connection which had a tremendous influence upon Joan's life. Joan always treasured his memories - especially after his plane was shot down in France in 1944 during WWII. One such memory was when Joan and Ned, along with their parents, traveled by train from Burlington, Iowa to Oakland, California to attend the World's Fair. Joan was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Burlington, Iowa. Joan's spiritual upbringing and faith guided her throughout her life. She enjoyed sharing in the community of Christian believers by attending Luther League and Lutheran church camps, playing piano for church services, singing in choir, and participating in Bible Studies. Joan graduated from Burlington High School in 1946. After high school, she attended Burlington Junior College and graduated in 1948. She received her nursing degree from the Lutheran School of Nursing in Moline, Illinois in 1951 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa in 1961. Joan worked as an ER nurse and surgery nurse in Chicago and San Francisco. Dedicated to her career, Joan maintained her nursing licenses for Iowa, Illinois, and California via correspondence for 30 years. It was during her time in San Francisco that Joan signed up with Project Hope (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere), a renowned global health and humanitarian relief organization. Joan completed a 10-month tour of duty on the SS Hope, which was a renovated Navy hospital ship from WWII. The SS Hope transported doctors and nurses to different countries to provide education to staff and medical students in the hospitals, clinic outposts, and surgical and outpatient departments on the ship. In Trujillo, Peru, Joan met Dr. Jesus Bendezu, a cardiologist, founding member, and faculty at Trujillo University School of Medicine. Joan and Jesus married in Lima, Peru on April 15, 1964, and made their home in Trujillo for 50 years. From this union, two sons, Jesus Ned Francisco and Ricardo Eleazar, were born. In 2012, Joan and Jesus retired and settled in Ankeny to be closer to their son, Ricardo, and his family. Jesus's health began to decline in 2019 and sadly passed on November 24, 2021. Joan fondly referred to Jesus as "a wonderful companion of fifty-seven years of marriage." He was the kindest person she ever knew, to his family, patients, and friends. Joan loved life singing in choir, playing cards, especially Bridge, and listening to classical, contemporary, and jazz music. She was a voracious reader who appreciated returning to the United States to have access to public libraries. Joan enjoyed adapting to the Peruvian culture, which included cooking and eating Peruvian food. She also cherished lifelong friendships made in Peru along with her Bible study group. Joan fondly recalled, "Above all, however, my greatest joy in life was being a wife, mother, and grandmother." Joan loved life and her family and wished she could be with them forever. Upon returning to the US to live in Ankeny, Iowa, she joined Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and decided to serve by singing in the choir, which she did for five years. It brought her so much satisfaction and friendships. Joan is predeceased by her parents, Wallace and Grace Hunger; her brothers, Paul, Arnold, Donald, Ned; and her niece, Jeannie. Joan is lovingly survived by her two sons, Jesus and his wife Mary Corcoran of Longmont, CO; Ricardo and his wife Jodi and their children: Abbey, Amanda, and Ryan of Ankeny, Iowa; and a daughter Mary and her husband Dave and their children: Carrie, Kristyn, and Mandi and their husbands, along with eight great-grandchildren of Washington Island, Wisconsin. Additionally, Joan is survived by her niece, Arnette, and nephew, Ned. After a life well-lived, Joan and Jesus's final resting place will be next to her parents at Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Burlington, Iowa. A service in her loving memory will be held at a later date.

Joan Jacqueline Bendezu

June 12, 1929 - July 14, 2026