Joan Abegg-Gehring

Joan Meredith Needham Abegg-Gehring
January 1, 1931 – October 5, 2025

Joan Abegg-Gehring passed away on the morning of October 5, 2025, in Orem, Utah at the age of 94. She was born to Ernest Rupert Needham and Celia Rubin Needham on January 1, 1931, in Los Angeles, California.

In the late 1930s, Joan's mother moved with her daughters Joan and Jackie to Binghampton, Arizona. There, Joan attended Catalina Jr. High and Tucson High School. After graduating from high school, she worked at the Catalina Theater in Binghampton, where she made $15 a month selling candy at the concessions stand.

Joan eventually returned to California, where she attended Pasadena City College. She later moved to Beverly Hills and worked as a switchboard operator at the Beverly Hills Club.

Among her memories while living in California was to participate with her church congregation in the construction of the Los Angeles LDS Temple. She loved to sing and was in the Mormon Choir of Southern California, which sang at the Hollywood Bowl for Easter Sunrise services. She cherished and spoke fondly of that experience.

When she returned to Binghampton, Arizona to visit her mother, she was courted by Joseph Abegg. They were married in March 1955 in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. Together they had four children: Cheryl, Shelley, Janene, and Robb. Joan greatly cherished the gospel of Jesus Christ and was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Joan is survived by her daughters Cheryl (Russell) Loveless, Shelley, her son Robb, and her younger sister Jackie (Lyman) Griswold. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph (1994), and daughter Janene (2016). In 1998, she married a kind man, Jay Gehring, who also passed in 2016.

Joan had eight grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at noon, Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the LDS chapel located at 3511 North 180 East, Provo, Utah 84604. A viewing will be held from 10:00 to 11:45 am prior to the funeral service. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery. Condolences may be extended online at www.bergmortuary.com.

The funeral may be attended remotely at http://abegg.riversideward.com