Joan G. Naumann

Joan G. Naumann (nee: Joan Erma Kunkel Gurtner), age 91, died in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, August 2, 2026.

She was born in Pittsburgh on February 26, 1935, the daughter of Melvin Kunkel and Erma Landefeld. She married Edward Naumann in Pittsburgh on June 23, 1957, having known him since they were in kindergarten. Upon Ed’s graduation from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, they moved to Bohemia, NY in 1961 to start a Lutheran mission church. Together they assembled a congregation and built Peace Lutheran Church where Ed was pastor from 1961-67. In 1967, they moved back to Pittsburgh when Ed was called to serve at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Brookline.

Joan served her church in many ways: as Chair of the Worship Committee, Confirmation teacher, Sunday school teacher, adult Christian Education teacher, and kitchen helper and driver for Meals on Wheels. She volunteered at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in a program for children. She worked part-time as a church secretary at Advent Episcopal Church and as a typist for the University of Pittsburgh. She always felt that her primary call was to support her husband’s calling to ordained ministry.

She and Ed moved to Castle Shannon in 1992 after Ed was diagnosed with ALS. Joan’s steadfast witness to her faith in Jesus Christ both in good times and difficult times will be remembered by all who knew her. Joan was a “prayer warrior” who lifted family, friends, neighbors and total strangers in prayer. She was present for uncountable family celebrations (births, baptisms, confirmations, school awards, graduations, weddings) for her five children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren and helped sustain her family through rock-bottom life experiences as well. To the very end, she was a faithful servant of our Lord.

She is survived by three children: Mike (Deni) Naumann of Madison, WI, Jen (Tim) Hadley, and Dan (Kara Snyder & Quinn Keane) Naumann, all of Pittsburgh; seven grandchildren: James (Christina Richardson) Stockton, Nathan (Liz) Stockton of Pittsburgh, Sarah (Brad) Simon of Madison, WI, Richard (Katarina) Knouff of Youngstown, OH, Nicole (Ian) Zimmerman of Hopewell, PA, Jess Naumann of Fort Valley, GA and Matthew Naumann (Brooke Bell) of Pittsburgh; four great grandchildren: Michael and Ellie Stockton, Grant Simon, and Arthur Knouff; a sister-in-law, Linda (Ron) Sprunger of Ashland, OH; cousins, nieces and nephews.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Edward J. Naumann, in 1994; her daughter, Kristy K. Knouff in 2023; her son, Mark A. Naumann in 2026; her biological father Melvin Kenneth Kunkel, her adoptive stepfather George Martin Gurtner, her mother Erma Landefeld Kunkel Gurtner, and her brother Donald Gurtner. A celebration of life service will be held at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 933 Brookline Boulevard in Brookline, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh, PA 15226.