Joyce Greta Jordan

The last of her generation, Joyce Jordan passed away gently at the Canmore Hospital on March 22 with family at her side at the age of 97.

After growing up in Ontario, Joyce became a mountain girl living more than 70 years divided almost equally between Banff, Jasper and Canmore Alberta.

She was a working woman most of her life beginning at a munitions factory in Ingersol Ontario during WW11, later becoming a Bell telephone operator and finishing as a school librarian in Jasper Alberta.

Apart from work she enjoyed singing and was part of several groups over the years. She was a mid-life aerobics fanatic and a voracious reader of history and mystery novels until the end. No biography of Joyce would be complete without mentioning her love of roses and her all-time favourite cat ‘Snoopy’.

Joyce’s unpretentious pragmatic nature blended with a sense of humour and an interest in others made her well-liked by most that knew her from high school students to her peers.

Joyce was predeceased by her husband John Patrick (1988); her daughters Rebecca Anne (2014) and Catherine Lynn (2009); and her five siblings Margaret Huston (2017), Beverly French (2015), John French (2005), Rose Fleming (1987), and Walter French (1943).

She is survived by her son Michael of Calgary; granddaughters Jacquelyn Cates (Serenity, Jazmine) of Westlock, AB and Stephanie Cates (husband Robin Gagnon, Brody) of Cochrane, AB; as well as many nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved dearly. Among them she shared a particularly close relationship with Ted French, Michele Matyus (nee French), Wayne Huston, Tracie Beattie (nee French) and Patricia Boisvert.

Joyce’s favourite thing was family and her wishes were for a family get-together (with lots of laughs), which will happen soon. At her request her ashes will be spread where her daughters ashes are, near Canmore.

Thanks to Dr. Morin and the staff at Canmore Hospital for excellent end of life care and her friends and the staff at Bow River Lodge for making the latter part of her life enjoyable.

Memorial donations of flowers or cheques may be made in Joyce’s name and will be used to enhance the horticulture at Bow Valley Regional Housing (920 Fairhome Dr. Canmore, AB T1W 1W1)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 4:8

* Photo taken in 2008 at 80 years of age