Joan Mary McAlister

September 15, 1948 - September 8, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Joan Mary McAlister - beloved Wife, Mother, Sister, Gramma and Friend.

She was born on September 15, 1948, in Toronto to parents Metro and Gertrude Ogryzlo. She was the middle daughter of 3, with older sister Ann and younger sister Kathy. Her fondest memories from childhood were time spent at their family cottage on Lake of Bays in Muskoka, Ontario.

After graduating with Ontario Scholar Honors from York Mills Collegiate in 1966, she pursued her teaching degree at Queen’s University, class of 1971. It was there that she met her loving husband of 54 years, Steven McAlister.

Married on August 27, 1971, Steven and Joan first settled in Welland, Ontario. They moved several times for Steven’s work, enjoying their time in St. John (New Brunswick), Omaha (Nebraska) and Pointe-Claire (Quebec). Among their travels, they welcomed their first daughter, Sarah and first son Michael. Their final move was to Abbotsford, BC in 1978, where they remained for the next 47 years and welcomed 2 more daughters, Jessica and Megan.

Joan ran very efficient and warm households, in addition to working full time as a teacher at various schools, and later in life as a Speech and Language Learning Assistant with the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre. She was passionate about her work and provided gentle and loving care to all the children she worked with. She officially retired in 2013.

Aside from her work, Joan was deeply involved in her children’s lives and an unwavering supporter of all their endeavors. In 2007, she became a grandmother and her love grew exponentially. She welcomed 11 more grandchildren in the following years and they were the light of her life. She was their biggest fan at all their sporting events and beamed with pride for all their accomplishments.

Joan also found the time to become an accomplished skier, windsurfer, and stand-up paddleboarder. More recently, she had been enjoying rides along the river and through the mountains on her electric bike. She loved hummingbirds and swimming in the waves at her family cottage on Harrison Lake. She could also often be found walking laps at Mill Lake, on Willband Creek Trail or the Seawall in Vancouver, always excited to run into a familiar face.

On September 8, 2025, she passed peacefully with her husband, children and their spouses by her side. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by everyone whose life she touched. In accordance with her wishes, a celebration of life will be held in private in October.

She will forever be remembered by husband Steven, children Sarah, Michael (Lindsey), Jessica (Jeremy), and Megan (Matt). She will live on forever in the hearts of her grandchildren: Annabelle, Alayna, Braylen, Nevaya, Nadia, Callie, Andersen, Isaak, Carson, Arielle, Lila and Ivy.

In lieu of flowers, donations to BC Children’s Hospital would be a meaningful way to honor Joan’s generous heart. We sincerely thank all those who have supported us during this time.