Joan Catherine Timms

Mrs. Joan Catherine Swan Timms, age 81, passed away in Longview Texas on June 21, 2022. Joan was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota on December 18, 1940 to the late Michael Jack Swan and Carmine Ruth Grim Swan.

She grew up with her brother Jerry and younger sister Mary Anne. After the death of her beloved mother in 1947, her dad married Bernice Geda Marcuson and the family grew even more. Joan gained two more sisters, Jean and Beverly, and a brother, Michael. After high school, Joan pursued her desire to become a teacher. After finishing Wahpeton Junior College, Joan began classes at Minot State Teachers College in North Dakota. She worked part-time at Cox’s Bakery and began learning the skills of cake decorating. While working there, she met and married the man of her dreams, a baker, named George William Timms.

They married in 1961 and shortly after, left for Grand Forks, North Dakota. While there, Joan and George had two children, Barry and Lisa. Because of her husband’s work, they were transferred to Mesquite, Texas to manage the bakery in Big Town Mall. Joan really honed her decorating skills and produced thousands of beautiful creations. During this time, they had two more children, Julie and Tricia. Joan continued pursuing her goal of becoming a teacher and received her degree at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, and began her teaching career in 1970 at North Mesquite High School. During this time, George and Joan, adopted another son, Grady. Joan loved the interaction with her students and worked tirelessly on making her classes interesting. During this time, Joan continued to pursue higher education and additional certifications in English, Reading, and English as a Second Language. Joan worked in the Mesquite Independent School District for 28 years before retiring. After living in Mesquite for 42 years, George and Joan decided to move to a quieter part of Texas. In 2006, Longview, became their hometown.

Throughout Joan’s life, she found joy in her family and friends, vacationing, arts and crafts, cake decorating, tutoring students, expanding her very large Christmas Village, and Perry Mason reruns. Joan Catherine Swan was a caring sister, devoted wife, loving mother/grandmother/great-grandmother, and a friend to many.

Joan is preceded in death by her parents, Michael Swan, Carmine Ruth Swan, and Bernice Swan, her sister Beverly Swan, and her brother Michael Arlen Swan.

She is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, George Timms, their two sons, Barry and spouse Shirley Timms (St. Louis, MO) and Grady and spouse Linda Timms (Dallas, TX), their three daughters, Lisa and spouse Ali Abbad (Amman, Jordan), Julie and spouse Wes Allred (Helotes, TX) and Tricia and spouse John Michael Red Fox (Corpus Christi, TX), her brother Jerry Swan and wife Pat (WY), her sister Mary Anne and husband Maxi (Trinity, TX), her sister Jean and husband Pete (Longview, TX). She also is survived by 14 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

A visitation for Joan will be held Saturday, July 2, 2022 at 12:00 PM at Calvary Hill Main Mausoleum North Chapel, 3235 Lombardy Ln, Dallas, Texas 75220. A mass of christian burial will be held at 1:00 PM with interment to follow at Calvary Hill Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.calvaryhilldallas.com for the Timms family.