Joan Marie (Gossling) DeMass

Joan Marie (Gossling) DeMass, born April 12, 1957, in Portland, Oregon, to Kenneth and Ruth Gossling, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of December 30, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joan shared a birthday with her mother, a connection that always felt special to her and spoke to the closeness she held with her family.

Joan later moved to Salt Lake City to attend BYU, where she met and married Mike (Jack Michael) DeMass. Together, they built a life rooted in family, love, and laughter, and welcomed five beautiful children who became the center of Joan’s world.

Joan was, above all else, fiercely proud of her children. They were her greatest joy, her favorite subject, and her constant bragging right. No stranger stayed a stranger for long, if you spoke with Joan for more than a few minutes, you were almost guaranteed to hear about her kids and how proud she was of each of them and their unique personalities.

She was deeply social and treasured relationships, maintaining lifelong friendships and forming new ones everywhere she went. Joan had a gift for making people feel seen. She was never afraid to tell a random passerby that they were pretty, and she meant it every time.

Joan loved humor and had an incredible ability to find it even during the hardest moments. Her smile was constant, genuine, and contagious. Laughter was one of her greatest tools, and she used it to comfort others and herself alike.

Holidays were sacred to Joan. She loved every single one and decorated every room, shelf, and ledge of her home to match the season. She believed memories were meant to be captured, and no gathering was complete without a group picture to remember the moment.

In her final years, Joan formed a deep and meaningful bond with her caretaker and dear friend, Val Ata’Ata. Val was by her side continuously during the last couple of years of Joan’s life and became family in every sense of the word. Val was the last name Joan could remember, a testament to the profound connection they shared.

Joan often spoke of her father, a pilot, and would wave to planes overhead, wondering if the people inside could see her waving back. It was a small, beautiful ritual that reflected her enduring sense of wonder and connection to those she loved.

Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Mike DeMass, and her son, Jeffrey DeMass.

Joan is survived by her children: Jon DeMass (wife Crystal, daughter Abby); Bradley DeMass (wife Whitney, daughters Scotland and Izzy); Katie Wissler (husband Mike, children Kya, Paisley, Titan, and Demi); and Matt DeMass. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Kirsten DeMass. Joan’s love for her family ran deep, and she cherished each of them dearly.

Joan will be remembered for her warmth, her laughter, her love of people, and the way she made others feel important. Her legacy lives on in her children, her grandchildren, her friendships, and the countless lives she touched simply by being herself.

Services will be held on Friday, January 9th, 2026 at Goff Mortuary, 8090 S. State Street, Midvale, with a viewing from 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 PM. Interment will take place after services around 1:30 PM at Murray City Cemetery, 5490 S. Vine Street, Murray.

Joan was deeply loved, and her love lives on through her children, grandchildren, and the many hearts she shaped along the way.