Joanne Jordan Cowdrick

Joanne Jordan Cowdrick passed away March 24, 2022 at her home in Selah, Washington, with her husband and daughter by her side. She was born 89 years earlier in the tiny town of Leeds, Maine. While growing up, Joanne was raised by a loving foster family and she liked to play outdoors with her little dog, Pal. After graduation from South Portland Maine High School, she ran off to Navy boot camp with her good friend, Ruth. Joanne worked in the Naval Photographic Science Lab in Anacostia, DC, where she was involved in producing the video series “Victory at Sea.” After the Navy, Joanne moved out west and raised three daughters while living in Montana, Alaska, and Washington. In Anchorage, she experienced the great earthquake of 1964. After returning to Washington, she loved to pack up her three girls and explore the West, towing a pop-up tent camper with a Rambler Ambassador. When Joanne became curious about her biological roots, she conducted genealogical research that led to the discovery of two brothers and a sister who were unaware of each other. One of her proudest accomplishments was uniting these siblings. Joanne found the love of her life when she met John Cowdrick, the man who would become her second husband. She and John went on to enjoy 44 years of work and fun and adventures together. She packed John’s lunches every day while he was working in construction. They took her best friend Betty to Alaska in a motorhome, snowbirded in southern Arizona, and ran a semi-truck all over the West. And they found immense joy in all the time with their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Joanne liked lighthouses, outhouses, nutcrackers, miniatures, genealogy, the Iditarod, Mel’s Diner, Powerhouse Grill, eating Alaskan King Crab, and Gunsmoke re-runs. Joanne is survived by her husband John Cowdrick, her sister Elaine Doyle, and a big, wonderful family of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends. A private graveside service was held at Sumner Cemetery in Puyallup. To leave a memory for her family please visit keithandkeith.com