Joan Margaret Anderson

Born in Middleton, Leeds, Yorkshire, to parents Rose and John Gibb, Joan was welcomed as the youngest child into a large and loving family that included her two sisters, two brothers, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Early on, Joan lost her brother Jack when he was just five years old from diphtheria. In 1932, her father John passed away and Joan was raised by her mother, older sisters Evelyn and Mabel and older brother Robert as well as her aunts and uncles. After finishing school, Joan found office work in factories, including the Burberry clothing factory. At this time, war was spreading across Europe and life began to quickly change for Joan as it did for hundreds of thousands of young people who were just coming of age. In 1944, when visiting Scarborough with a friend, Joan met the love of her life, Harry Anderson, a Canadian Forces airman and navigator from Burnaby, BC. Joan and Harry shared a love of swimming and Harry also quickly fell for Joan’s beauty and sharp sense of humour. In 1945, they married in Leeds after Harry completed his second tour of duty.

Joan then joined the more than 48,000 women who became Canadian “war brides” after World War II. In 1946, she left her family to make the long journey from Leeds to Burnaby with her and Harry’s three-month-old daughter, Susan. Joan vividly remembered the journey for the rest of her life, from sharing a crowded berth with other brides and their infants who were equally distraught to have left their families behind, to the two-week long train journey from Halifax to Vancouver. She was relieved and exhausted when she arrived in Vancouver, however; Harry was nowhere to be found. Fearing she had been abandoned by her Canadian husband, a fate she had witnessed by other brides on her cross-Canada journey, she sought out the help of the Red Cross. The helpful staff quickly remedied the situation, determining Harry had every intention of claiming his young bride; he had just gone to the wrong train station, since Vancouver had both Canadian Pacific and Canadian National train stations in 1946.

In North Burnaby, Joan and Harry began their life together that would span nearly 70 years. In starting a new life thousands of kilometres away from her previous life and family, Joan said she always aspired to create the warm and loving family here in Canada that she had left behind in England. Joan and Harry lived in North Burnaby for 35 years, welcoming daughter Kathy and son Bill. Much of Joan and Harry’s time was focused on raising their three children in addition to a social life centred around the Burnaby Fire Department and North Shore United, as Harry was with the BFD for 35 years and a lifelong soccer player.

After retirement in 1983, Joan and Harry moved to South Surrey and were able to travel extensively, visiting five continents together, and with friends and family. Joan loved to host dinners for her family and share the many recipes she had grown up with in Yorkshire. Roast beef, pork roast and savoury, and of course, Yorkshire puddings, were frequently featured in addition to trifles, pies, and cakes to satisfy Harry’s sweet tooth. Great-grandchildren were always welcomed with her famous scones and Joan’s light fruitcake became a Christmas tradition. Joan was a passionate Canucks fan for many years, with Canucks games on tv during family dinners, until the Canucks continued to

disappoint, and she stepped off the bandwagon. Joan also especially enjoyed family vacations on the Gulf Islands with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as continuing to cruise with her family into her 90s. Harry passed away in 2012, and Joan moved a few blocks over to live with her daughter Kathy and son-in-law Randy. She enjoyed a quieter life in recent years, voraciously reading mystery novels, enjoying the news, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy each evening, and the companionship of Stella, a tabby-calico cat. Joan will always be remembered for her kindness to everyone, her generosity, and her dry, fantastically sharp sense of humour. Her eye rolls will always be legendary.

Joan is survived by her daughter Susan (Bob), daughter Kathy (Randy), son Bill (Linda), grandchildren Tanya (Colin), Shannon (Jason), Corey (Melissa), Gillian (Marc), Mark (Martha), Geoff (Lindsay), Crystal, 13 great-granddaughters, two great-grandsons, one great-great granddaughter, and nephews and nieces.

Much gratitude to the staff of the Al Hogg Pavilion at Peace Arch Hospital for providing caring and compassionate care during Joan’s final months.

Joan will be greatly missed, lovingly remembered by all, and never forgotten.

Author: Gillian Robinson Riddell

A Celebration of Life will be held June 13 at 1:00 p.m. at Victory Memorial Park, 14831-28th Avenue, South Surrey. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Joan’s memory to the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society: #506 - 5050 Kingsway Ave Burnaby, BC V5H 4C2 website: burnabyfirefighters.ca