N. Joan Allison

Joan will forever be remembered with love by her family: Her children Paul (Julia), Blair (Gillian), Kelly (David) and Leanne (Matthew), her grandchildren Emma, Andrew and Paige, Finley and Bennett, and Samuel, Avery and Gabriel; her dear sister Janice ( Ron) and sister-in-law Barb (Allan) and all her nieces and nephews: Peter, Jane, Kirk and Jennifer, Michael, Paige and Stacey, Alana, Meghan and Paul, and Tony and Angela. Joan was predeceased by her parents Norma and Ran, her brother Allan and her ex-husband Dale.

Joan Wylie came into this world on January 9, 1945. As a youngster, Joan loved the freedom of roaming the streets of small-town Winchester by bike or by foot with her many friends. She attended Winchester High School where being a majorette, babysitting, hanging out at the skating rink and smooching a certain high-school athlete (Dale Allison) were regular parts of her teenage years.

Teaching was Joan’s first career. After finishing Teacher’s College in 1965, she taught for a few years but did not get her permanent teacher’s license because she kept having babies! Once she and Dale decided their brood was complete, she went back to school and in 1980 completed her BA in psychology from Brock University and her master’s in social work in 1984 from Wilfrid Laurier University. Mom cared deeply about helping children and families and felt passionate about child welfare. She worked as a front-line social worker, a supervisor and then a senior manager at Family and Children Services of Waterloo. Her love of social work was clearly contagious as it was passed on to her daughters’ Kelly and Leanne. After retiring, she continued to give to her community through her work on church committees and community boards.

Joan’s greatest joy in life was being a mom. She loved watching and guiding her four children grow into their unique selves. Camping in Algonquin Park, road trips and sightseeing to the West and East coast and playing cards at Christmas with extended family in Winchester were cherished family memories. Despite the endless cooking, house-cleaning and loads and loads of laundry that comes with being a mom of four, she delighted in this role. Mom was always there when we needed her the most, offering support, wisdom, and love in abundance. She also loved being a grandma and attended many soccer games, football games and cross-country races. She loved playing with her grandkids when they were young and hearing about their lives and adventures as they grew. Joan fiercely valued family and nothing gave her more pleasure than being surrounded by those she loved.

A die- hard extrovert, people were drawn to Joan’s liveliness, humor, and tenacity, and she picked up lifelong friends everywhere she went. Whether it was time with her close friends from Niagara Falls, her Brock friends, book club pals, the couples from First United, the Y ladies or the Christian ladies, Joan loved a potluck get-together, a week at a cottage, having coffee or simply raising a glass with friends. She was thrilled when her sister Janice moved to Cambridge to join in the fun. Joan and Janice travelled, cruised, bussed, and toured around Ireland, Europe, Scandinavia, Hawaii and more. Ever the social butterfly, Joan suffered from FOMO (fear of missing out). As she struggled with pneumonia in the last few months of her life, having to miss a night at the theatre or a trip to the cottage were big disappointments. Joan was a good friend, supporting others through hard times and celebrating with them during the good times. She cherished these friendships dearly and felt the love returned.

Joan always had a zest for life! She embraced each season of her life and had very few regrets. She was strong, loving, fun, and feisty. She touched the lives of all who knew her and will be dearly missed.

The family would like to thank all the staff at Cambridge Memorial Hospital for the quality medical care she received.

A memorial service will be held on June 7th at 2 pm Cedar Hill United Church at. A visitation will be held at 1pm, and a reception will follow the service in the church hall.

The family wishes memorial contributions to be made to either the Kinbridge Community Association or the Cedar Hill United Church.