Joan Marjorie Holmes

If there was ever a person who wanted to heal all the wrongs in the world, it was Joan Marjorie Holmes. She was an idealist who sought to bring harmony to those around her. Even though Joan was enthusiastic and generous, it was sometimes difficult for her to boast about her accomplishments. Joan had strong personal convictions, making it hard for her to relinquish those ideals she held dearest to herself. Despite her outer strengths and beliefs, Joan sometimes struggled in her efforts to see the world as completely positive. Joan's life motto was always to hope for the best and work hard towards that end, but be prepared for some of life's disappointments. This philosophy was a continual driving force in her life, but it did not extinguish the bright light that defined the dreamer in Joan, something that was always there and that she readily shared with everyone around her.

      Joan was born on August 6, 1946 at Grace Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. Her parents were Nick and Jessie Horodelski. Joan was raised in Toronto, Ontario. As a youngster, Joan demonstrated an excellent vocabulary and command of language. She was a compassionate person, a quality that she would carry with her throughout her life. Even at a young age, Joan was sensitive to her parents’ moods and worked hard to please them and live up to their expectations.

      Throughout her life, Joan showed a remarkable ability to mend relationships. This was true even with her siblings. Joan was caring, diplomatic and tolerant of the feelings of those around her. Joan was raised with four siblings. She had two older brothers, Mike and Bill, one younger brother, Russ and one younger sister, Frances. Joan was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Joan and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

      As a young girl, Joan lived a childhood filled with fantasy. She was generally in pursuit of her own identity, but she was also adaptable to almost any situation she faced. In her spare time she liked reading True Confession magazines as a teenager and then she graduated to Danielle Steele books. However, to Joan, the most fun to be had was simply playing, and spending time with her many friends.

      High school was a time for Joan to seek out knowledge. She enjoyed learning and had a natural interest in gathering information. Joan had a flair for the poetic and was very expressive and articulate, especially when it came to her writing. Joan took her education seriously. She graduated from R. H. King and Durham alternative Learning in 1998. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Completed high school at close to age 50.

      While those who did not know her well found Joan to be somewhat reserved until they got to know her, she was an authentic and devoted friend. Joan was a tranquil person, with an easygoing and open-minded attitude towards life. She presented a pleasant face to the outside world but concealed the pain and discomfort she felt over her own friends’ difficulties. Joan sought to achieve harmony with everyone and possessed the ability to mend conflicts and avoid interpersonal struggles. While growing up, some of her best friends were Judy Bevington, Julie Wilson, Lorraine and Sharon Gauthier, Linda Thieir, Rochelle Paul and Cathy Ramsden.

      The desire for romance was always present in Joan's life. She succeeded in finding it on June 17, 1972, when Joan exchanged wedding vows with Wayne Gordon Holmes at Woodbine United Church of Toronto, Ontario. Joan cared passionately for Wayne. Her deep loyalty and a strong commitment to her vows brought a sense of completeness to their marriage.

      Joan was a gentle person who held deep feelings for her children. She enjoyed having fun with her kids and was at times fiercely protective of them. Joan showed great empathy in her willingness to give every family member a voice in family decisions. She was blessed with two children, two sons, Jason and Ryan. They were also blessed with one grandson, Casey.

      Blessed with a strong sense of integrity, Joan was as loyal and committed in her work as she was in the rest of her life. Joan worked well with fellow employees and showed great cooperation in reaching common goals. Though she had a tendency to take on too many tasks, herself; Joan showed great patience with complicated situations. She was ingenious and trusted her intuition. For Joan, the application of logic could be optional, and while that sometimes bothered her co-workers, Joan always seemed to be able to get the job done. She was most comfortable working on the projects and jobs that she strongly supported. Joan began her working career as a cashier at Dominion, sthen Shoppers Drug Mart, later she was a Bookkeeper/Girl Friday at Terry Kehoe's Business. Later when the kids were school age it was Price Choppers that her son says everyone knew her. Afterwards it was the School Board where she was loved by the children as an Educational Assistant. There was no one who got as many Christmas presents as Joan! Joan always tried to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Joan enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were word search, walking, Danielle Steele books and Wayne! Joan was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but she was also willing to share her interests with others.

      Joan's tremendous enthusiasm for the activities she enjoyed also influenced the pleasure she drew from sports. Recreational sports included Tennis and skiing. Joan also enjoyed watching sports and liked following her favorite teams whenever she got the chance to do so. Tops on her list were hockey and baseball - especially when her sons were playing.

      Joan took all of her personal and moral obligations seriously. Joan was a strong defender of her faith. When she was a young teenager she went to Bethel Bible Church on Sundays with her brothers and sister.

      Being a selfless person, Joan did not seek approval from her peers, but she valued the recognition she received for her good deeds. Joan was very proud of her graduating high school at close to age 50.

      Joan enjoyed traveling and going away on vacations. Taking trips provided the chance for her to kick back and relax, to visit new places and see new things. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Las Vegas, Dominican Republic, western Canada and many camping trips.

      Joan was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Her family was rounded out by Boots and Fluffy the cats and TJ, Barclay, Buddy and Pee-Wee the dogs.

      Joan passed away on September 19, 2009 at at home, peacefully. A long, tough battle with brain injury. She is survived by her husband Wayne Gordon Holmes, son Jason and his wife Rebecca (Craft), son Ryan, sister Frances (Tony), brothers, Bill, Mike (Marilyn) and Russ, sister-in-law Glenn (Sally), Dorothy, nieces, Wendy, Amands, Laura, Karen, Lisa, Leah, Nicole and Natasha, and nephews, Paul and Jake. Joan was laid to rest in Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa, Ontario.

      Joan Marjorie Holmes was someone who was able to see the world as a good and honorable place. She viewed the people who inhabited it as essentially good. A person who tended to see the world in terms of black and white, Joan tried to focus on the good she saw, knowing that there were times she would have to compromise. She was selfless and deeply committed to all things positive and good. Joan was a person who would keep her eye on tomorrow and constantly held onto her dreams. She was capable of being mystical at times, and she could be the seer or shaman of a group. It was this exceptional insight and quiet reserve that that became Joan's trademark qualities for all who knew her, and it was one of the many reasons why all who knew her loved Joan Marjorie Holmes.