Joy Elizabeth Pecknold

We shake with joy, we shake with grief.

What a time they have, these two

housed as they are in the same body.

― Mary Oliver

To know her is to know true joy; she was a light to all who crossed her path. Kind and generous, honest and just, smart and stylish. She was water, she was trees, she was fresh air - all the things you want to surround you. She loved her family and friends deeply and made an impact on everyone she met. It is not what she did, but rather how she lived. She was a thoughtful journalist, editor, and creative writer. She adored words but also loved actions, including but not limited to co-creating a more liveable, equitable world. After more than 20 years in Vancouver, Canada, she had recently moved back to the small island town where she grew up to lead a quieter lake-adjacent life and to build a small cabin on the family property to better support our aging parents.

She is survived by her parents, Lynn and Sandra, her two sisters, Kara and Petrina, her nieces Skylar and Sage, her nephew McKinley, her sweet rescue pup, Dex as well as an extended family that includes aunts, uncles, cousins, a goddaughter and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest acts of kindness in her honour. You can contribute to organizations that Joy cared about:

Alzheimer’s of BC

Doctors Without Borders

The Indian Residential School Survivors Society

SPCA