Joan Lee Waddell Coggins-Edelmayer passed away on the evening of June 11 at the age of 91 after being lovingly cared for by family at home. She kept her sense of humor to the end. Joan, a lifelong learner, enjoyed reading, getting to know people one-on-one, and learning about other cultures. After giving her life to Christ at the age of 34 she lived her new faith and led her 2 daughters to Christ, forever changing the trajectory of her family.

Born and raised in Glen Ridge New Jersey, Joan graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1952, attended Middlebury College and received her BA in English. She then married David Coggins, and they enjoyed two separate Air Force tours of duty in the Philippines. Settling in South Jersey, she taught first grade and junior high at Christian School of Camden County/Kings Christian School and Baptist High School. In 1986 Joan received her Masters of Christian School Administration from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary/Cornerstone University. Making a career change in her 50s she enjoyed being a legal secretary at Spector, Gadon and Rosen in Center City Philadelphia until retiring at age 77.

Jill and Jimmy Edelmayer were part of Joan’s first grade classroom, never knowing that years later they would become her bonus children. In the fall of 1998, widower, Jim Edelmayer, asked Joan to dinner and the theatre. Friendship turned into 26 years of marriage. Jim shared his love of travel with Joan; visiting many places in Europe and the American West. Their favorite place was Crescent Beach, Florida, where they spent time every October and January.

The most important part of Joan’s life was her relationship with her Savior. Because of this, she taught Child Evangelism Fellowship backyard clubs, ladies Bible studies and loved studying glimpses of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. She and her daughter Cynthia would go to a park, sit under a tree and share peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, along with the Gospel and Bible stories. She led people to Christ on benches, buses and in courthouses. She had a passion for Jewish people to know Jesus as their Messiah. Often family would see a Bible commentary and her beloved Amplified Bible on the table next to her morning coffee.

Joan is preceded in death by her bonus daughter, Jan Carr, and several unborn grandchildren. She is survived by her beloved Jim, daughters, Rachel Coggins and Cynthia Stone (Jonathan), her bonus children, Jill Conley (Chris) and Jimmy Edelmayer (Slavka), grandchildren Natalie, Calvin, Brennan, Mercedes, Austin, Jordan, Jimmy, Ethan, Johnny, Isabella and Jesse, and great-grandchildren Ruby, Wyatt, Eli and Maverick.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Joan's graveside service on Thursday, June 18, 2026, 11:30 AM at Colestown Cemetery, 100 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill, NJ.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joan's memory to Kings Christian School, 5 Carnegie Plaza, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.