Joan was the beloved wife of the late William J. Brinkworth; loving mother of Catherine Brinkworth, John (Andrea) Brinkworth, Jane Brinkworth, Paul (Susan) Brinkworth, and Susan (Burt) Zak; she was a devoted grandmother to Zach Cowie, Annie (Chris) Cooney, Justin (Meredith) Brinkworth, Katie Brinkworth, Mackenzie Brinkworth, Taylor (Phil Lisi) Brinkworth, James Brinkworth, Abby Zak, and Jason Zak; cherished great-grandmother to Wyatt Cooney; dear sister to Carol Herbert; and cousin, aunt, and friend to many.
If you knew Joan Brinkworth, or Nana to her family, you never knew what to expect from her, but you always knew you’d feel happier in her presence.
Nana was always a bit frazzled, a bit nervous, and a bit messy, with the dreaded left turn looming as her greatest nemesis. But this was only because she had no patience for the trivial or superficial details of life, focusing instead on more interesting things. Nana had bigger fish to fry, and several Door County-caught fish to set in plaster molds for her artworks. A hippie before hippies existed and a true artist at heart, she made beautiful pottery using her own inventive methods like pressing flowers into clay, making plaster molds of interesting grocery store lettuce, and implementing unexpected tools like a garlic press or backyard trash can fire to create different textures and glazed finishes on her pieces. She was captivated by all things creative and inspiring, and celebrated artistry in all forms, everything from belly-dancing, to drum circles, to Irish folk music.
Nana was the ultimate baby whisperer. Hand her even the fussiest baby, and she would have them giggling and cooing in seconds. After 5 kids, 9 grandchildren, and one adorable little great-grandbaby Wyatt, Nana must have changed over a 100 billion diapers in her lifetime (rough estimate.) With her innate ability to meet children on their level, Nana turned childhood into a magical place, and was always willing to search for fairies in the forest or bust out a mildly terrifying children’s folk song with the help of her acoustic guitar. She encouraged children to see the world through their imagination’s eye first before applying any adult rules, with her philosophy being “if a child sees a butterfly and says it’s an eagle, let them believe it’s an eagle.”
Nana was also a friend to the animals, viewing them not as mindless beasts, but “sentient beings” complete with their own unique personalities, opinions, and deep wisdom. She loved horses, her little cat, and both animals and humans alike were naturally drawn to her warm, loving spirit.
Nana was raised in the Catholic faith and felt a deep connection to spirituality. In true Nana fashion, her beliefs were never surface level or literal. Instead, Nana lived in constant pursuit of a rich, holistic understanding of the meaning of life, and was intrigued by the intersection of theology and science. She loved to engage people in deep discussions about quantum physics and was somehow able to turn scientifically dense information into poetic, and often hilariously
engaging stories. After a good Nana talk, you could not help but feel a certain kind of wonder about the world.
As she got older, Nana accepted the idea of her passing with grace, seeing it not as an ending, but an opportunity to become a bigger part of the universe she was so fascinated by. She will be deeply missed by her friends and family, but even though she’s gone from this world, there’s comfort in knowing we will get to see her again in all the beautiful parts of life that surround us.
Interment will be private. A family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the charity of the donor’s choice.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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