Kennedy, Joan Carol

She has left us for well-deserved rest and peace to reunite with her family and friends who have predeceased her (Mom and Dad, Robert and Pearl Powney, our daughter Kelly Anne, her Grandmother “Nanny Love”, and many friends, Jenny McKoy and Marty Lacey, to name a few.)

Joan – Beloved wife of John ‘Tom’ Kennedy, and mother of Wayne (Carolin) Kennedy, Leigh Anne (Bruce) Van Den Bosch, Grandmother ‘Nanny’ to Brandon, Ryan, Kyle, Thomas, Shelby and Marissa. Great-grandmother ‘Great Nanny’ to Carter and Owen, and loving sister to Marlyn (Ken) Haigh. All are devasted by her loss. She is truly loved, and remembered.

Joan was born in Montreal, Quebec and enjoyed her childhood, teens and early marriage there amongst a large close-knit family, cousins and friends. We left for Ontario in 1984, when an opportunity with my employer (Nortel) relocated us to Bolton.

Joan loved to sing and dance. On our first few dates, she and her cousin Gloria vowed that they would teach me to dance – eventually, they succeeded! Her favourite song of all time was “Rock around the Clock” by Bill Haley, and the Big Bands. But she would dance to most of the tunes from the mid-forties to the 80’s, and knew most of the words to most of the songs during that period ‘til the day before she passed, despite having vascular dementia.

She also loved to sew, knit, craft, and was a fantastic cook. She loved parties, for any occasion, hosting and attending. She even started her own catering business, which became too successful as it consumed too many weekends and any spare time. She cooked for the Bolton Lions Club for over 10 years, two meals per month, and when we retired to Heathcote in 1999, she began the same for the Thornbury Lions Club, until health issues increased about 5 years ago. Joan and Marty also cooked for the Bolton arena and recreation centre, and fundraised for the early Marsh Street Centre restoration and expansion.  For 4 years she financed and hosted the early Koffee Klatches at MSCC (5 days a week) and remitted the revenue to the restoration fund.  Her singing and stories at these klatches are legendary – forming an extended family of friends, some of whom still attend. She loved travelling, camping boating and visiting our lifelong best friends Gloria and Larry in Edmonton, Banff, and Lake Louise.

She loved watching figure skating, football, and hockey – she knew the names of the premier players and personalities. Joan was very vocal when attending games and also let the TV know when she didn’t like or agree with the plays or the calls made.

Joan was a feisty gal. She always told you the way it is. Brutally honest, you had no doubt about what Joan was thinking.

Joan would not let her health issues define her. She sought professional help, and got it. She survived Acute Mylogenous Leukemia (AML) in 2008, was diagnosed bi polar in 2015, and entered the Errinrung LTC facility in 2021 with vascular dementia, which occurred as a result of the AML chemotherapy. While at Errinrung, she was the life and the love of many of the residents and staff. Regaling them with fantastic stories and her singing, and humour. Many of the volunteer performers, and others were amazed at her ability to remember most of the words to the old 40’s to 80’s songs. Her retort when asked how she was feeling was “Fit as a fiddle, and ready for love”, and she called almost everyone “pet” or “lovey” because she couldn’t remember their names.

She loved all her family and we loved her right back. She will be sorely missed, but remembered with a warm smile and fondness.

A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at the Marsh Street Community Centre on Sunday June 30, 2024 from 1 until 4 p.m. Family and friends are cordially invited.

Thank you to the staff at Errinrung LTC who treated Joan with kindness and respect during her stay with them.

Thank you also to Ferguson Funeral Home with whom we have entrusted her Joan’s care for cremation and rest at the Thornbury Union Cemetery.

Donations in memory of Joan may be sent to the Alzheimer Society or any charitable institution you desire which may be made through the Ferguson Funeral Home, 48 Boucher St. E., Meaford, ON   N4L 1B9 to whom arrangements have been entrusted.   www.fergusonfuneralhomes.ca