Bench dedicated to beloved swimmer at Sanders Beach

Joanne Braun was 70 years old when she died Feb. 7 due to complications from ALS. 

Friends who shared her love of swimming and gardening, though, said there is no way they can forget her. 

“She was just one of those always smiling,” said David Groth. “It was hard to not smile when you were around her.” 

“She had a love for others that was just tender and kind,” Todd Cory said. 

About 30 people recently gathered at Sanders Beach just off East Lakeshore Drive to dedicate a bench installed in Braun’s memory. 

They smiled as they spoke of her wonderful spirit, endless energy, delightful humor and ability to listen and make others feel appreciated.  

“This bench is a tribute to her legacy,” said Joe Abate.

Braun lived near Sanders Beach and loved it. She was a member of the Kroc masters swimming group and swam regularly at Sanders Beach. She contributed to the Shared Harvest Community Garden in Coeur d’Alene, loved biking and looked forward to pretty much any adventure. She enjoyed traveling and worked internationally as a medical officer in Nepal, Pakistan and Bolivia. 

One person used the word “illuminator” to describe Braun. Another said she shone a light on others.

A note read during the dedication said, in part, "You made the world a more beautiful place."

“She was deeply loved by her communities of swimmers and gardeners,” Groth said. 

Lorna Henry shared a story of a group at Sanders Beach when Braun said, “Let’s get naked and go swimming.” 

Laughter filled the air. 

“Joanne loved well,” Abate said. 

But last year, she began tiring early in swims and complained of feeling fatigued. She initially attributed it to age, but when her condition worsened, she went to a doctor. 

She fought ALS, a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes loss of muscle control, for over a year before passing away. 

The bench was funded by donations from the swimming community. City Parks Director Bill Greenwood and the Parks Department helped with the selection and installation.

Greenwood said there are about 25 dedicated benches in the city. He said if someone wants one for a loved one, they can call the Parks Department to get started. A nice bench can run about $5,000. 

Braun’s is beautiful, her friends said, and already, many have spent time there, looking out on the blue waters and mountains. 

“It’s in the right spot,” said Rod Wharton. 

While the bench offers a place to rest and enjoy views of Lake Coeur d’Alene, it is somewhere people can sit, chat and learn from each other. 

“I think that’s what we should all be about,” Abate said. 

As the dedication wrapped up, the group sang “Find Your People” by Drew Holcomb. 

“You got to find your people.

The ones that make you feel whole. 

That won’t leave your side when you lose control. 

The ones that don’t let you lose your soul.” 

Mike Lee, Braun’s partner, was touched, but not surprised, by the tributes, the song and the dedication. 

“It's something that I’ve come to expect from this group,” he said. 

He said Braun loved being with her people.

“Everybody loved her so much,” Lee said. “She was just an amazing person.” 

    Joe Abate and Lorna Henry hug during a bench dedication for Joanne Braun at Sanders Beach.
  

    A note for Joanne Braun was read in her memory last Sunday at Sanders during a bench dedication in her name.
  

    Mike Lee holds his phone so those gathered at Sanders Beach for Joanne Braun's bench dedication can hear "Find Your People" by Drew Holcomb.
  

    Flowers and other memorials are left by the plaque next to the bench dedicated to Joanne Braun.