Nov 9, 1954 - Jan 26, 2018
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Joan "Joanie" was born and raised in 100 Mile House, BC where she learned the value of hard work on the family farm raising cattle and haying.
She spent her adult years (25+) in Prince George, BC raising her family, making great friendships and excelling in her career as a Long-Term Care Aide at Simon Fraser Lodge. Joan moved to Victoria in 2006 to be closer to her children and grandchildren, and to escape the winter! Family was so important to her.
She brought warmth and laughter to the residents at The Lodge at Broadmead where she was a Recreational Activity Worker. She loved interacting with people, learning about their lives and sharing her stories. Joan enjoyed travelling adventures to China and Egypt to visit her children and grandchildren during her fifties. She always enjoyed road trips back to Prince George to visit family and good friends.
Joan endured a long, courageous battle with a very rare form of cutaneous lymphoma. Despite the challenges she faced daily, she remained strong, optimistic and willing to try ANY treatment possible.
On January 26, with her children by her side, her body surrendered and she laid to rest.
She will be remembered for her bubbly, friendly, compassionate and loving character. Joan was in her element when she was helping people or cooking and baking for the masses. She was a master Homemaker, able to fix anything. She was an incredibly strong woman who faced many challenges throughout her life with great determination.
Joan and the family are very grateful for the services available to patients with cancer.
A special thank you to the staff at Victoria Hospice who took such good care of her in her final weeks. Joan is predeceased by her mother Margaret, father Bob, sister Carol and niece Michelle. She is survived by her adoring children; Norma (John), Kala (Trent) and Darcy (Melanie), her stepdaughters; Sherry and Ronda (Neil), her beloved grandkids; Salma, Abigail, Bennet, Drayden, Myah and Tyrese, her brothers; Keith (Lori) and Don, brother-in-law Alex, her former spouses; David (Patsy) and Mike, as well as numerous dear friends.
The family will hold a Celebration of Joan's full life in Prince George on Saturday, February 10th, 1 pm at the Hart Pioneer Centre.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation in Joan's name to either the Victoria Hospice
Society, Angel Flight BC or the BC Cancer Society.