Joan Y. Ouellette

To Joan Y. Ouellette, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Joan, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Joan really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Joan was born on March 7, 1936 at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents were Beatrice and Armand Patry. Joan was raised in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Even as a child, Joan had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Joan was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Joan managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Joan was raised with one sibling. She had one younger brother, Edmund.

All of Joan's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Joan experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in ice skating. In her spare time she liked collecting movie star photos and dolls.

Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Joan was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Joan simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Joan, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Joan's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Joan graduated from Lake Shore High School in 1954. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was all of her classes. She was a straight "A" student.

Joan never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Joan to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Joan delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Joan was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Joan utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were Sandra Studebaker. Later in life Joan had many friends. Joan loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Joan very easy to approach. On June, 1954 Joan exchanged wedding vows with Jerry Ouellette at St. Charles Catholic Church of Detroit, Michigan. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

At work, as in life, Joan was a real “people person.” She had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Joan liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Joan was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Joan's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Joan as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was house wife. She was employed for several years at Air Cool Supply in Glendora, California.

Joan felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Joan loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Joan relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Joan never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included bowling, golf and travel. Joan was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were golf and horse racing.

Joan had an endless appetite for new and different activities. She was always ready to join in the fun and add her flair and energy to an organization. Because of her personality, her humor, and her ability to get along with everyone, Joan's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which she belonged. Throughout her later years, Joan was an active member of the Bridge Club.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Joan recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member St. Christopher over 25 years.

Living life in the fast lane suited Joan just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Hawaii.

Joan was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. Her family was rounded out by her 2 cats which she called her kids, Buffy and Cuddles.

Joan believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 2001, Joan took it in stride as one more way to have fun. Her new life involved relocating to West Covina, California. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Joan remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in Bridge Clubs, local senior citizen center. Even in retirement, Joan continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Joan passed away on November 10, 2011 at Inter Community Hospital in Covina, California. She is survived by her brother Edmund. Services were held at St. Christopher Catholic Church. Joan was laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California with her husband Jerry.

Joan brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Joan Y. Ouellette lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.