As a professional genealogist, Joan Lee Peake appreciated a good obituary. This one is hers. Joan, 67, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at her Morgantown, W.Va. home after a little over a half year of health battles. She was born May 14, 1953 in Lakewood, OH, the daughter of Roland H. and Blanche Ellen (Provance) Peake. She was predeceased by both parents. She is survived by her loving husband and best friend of 43 years, Lavon Alan Deepe, along with numerous loving cousins. It was more than a passion for genealogy that made her appreciate her extended family and chosen friends. At the time of her death, she was still volunteering at the Uniontown Public Library - Pennsylvania Room twice a week to help others research their own family trees. Joan graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a B.S. with dual majors. She also graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver, CO. She worked for a number of years after as a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania. Life and professional opportunities took Joan to Denver, CO, Camp Hill, PA; McKinney, TX, and then across the Atlantic to Ober-Ramstadt, a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district in Hessen, Germany where she learned German at Goethe-Institut Frankfurt. She had previously learned Spanish in high school and college, and then Gaelic in McKinney that she used during travel to Ireland and Scotland. They then moved to London, UK for four years before returning to McKinney. Joan had her heart set on retiring not far from the homes of her ancestors, some of whom had lived in what is today the United States well before the Revolutionary War. Joan had a log home built in 2005 to her specifications near Morgantown, WV and acted as the general contractor during its construction. In 2006, she took the first of what would be many genealogical courses to achieve professional status. Always thirsting for knowledge, Joan was an accomplished genealogist. She was on the first National Genealogical Society Research Tour of Salt Lake City and traveled from the United Kingdom to attend. She had attended Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, and Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh to name a few. She also attended numerous state and national conferences. She was a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, serving as treasurer from 2012 to 2015; Great Lakes Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and numerous local societies including Fayette County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Society. She served as president of the society for many years as well as newsletter editor. McCulla Funeral Home, 770 Fairmont Rd. Morgantown, WV, has provided cremation service. Due to COVID-19, no memorial service will be observed at this time. Memorials may be sent to: Fayette County PA Room, 24 Jefferson St., Uniontown, PA, 15401