Joan Margaret Jonassen

Joan Margaret Bullen Jonassen, born in London, England in 1922, passed away in comfort and the loving care of her family and the caring staff at Walden Heights Seniors Residence in Calgary, Alberta on December 13th, 2015. Joan is survived by her four children, Paul R. Jonassen, Kari Jonassen Tiedemann, Dr. E. Andrew Jonassen, MD. and Pamela Ann Jonassen; grandchildren, Peter Jonassen, Ariane Jonassen, Larissa Jonassen, Kai and Brice Jonassen and Anthony Parker, CFL, and seven great-grandchildren. Joan is pre-deceased by her son Peter Grant Jonassen and husband, Consul Emeritus Amund Jonassen.

After living in London, Norway and Sweden, Joan and her Norwegian husband, Captain Amund Jonassen, came to Canada with their young family. Joan and Amund loved Calgary and its surrounding mountains. Amund Jonassen, soon, Honorary Consul for Norway and wife Joan both became involved in civic and philanthropic endeavors in Calgary. A mother of 5 children, Joan spent years as a 'Pink Lady' at the Colonel Belcher Veterans' Hospital. Pink Ladies raised money and wrote letters for, read to and played cards with injured veterans. Joan, once President of the Calgary Women's Auxillary of the Salvation Army, raised the most money for that time in the All Calgary Salvation Army 'Blitz' to help Calgarians who had fallen on hard times. Joan entertained visiting ambassadors and dignitaries and many of the young military, Army and Navy, some of whom went on to be Generals in various Canadian Army regiments and the Special Ready Force. Calgary has lost a gracious, elegant English lady. Joan was eternally grateful to Drummond Birk and Henry Birk & Sons for their generosity putting two of her children through university.

Messages of remembrance may be left for the family at www.southcalgaryfuneralcentre.ca