Joannie was a great human.  I loved her very much and so appreciate her fun loving, open, adventuresome spirit!  She was always the mom who took us to carnivals, shell shops, bakeries, rummage slaes or whatever fun thing was going on.  She was kind, loving and always seemed to ave a half smile on her face.  She was always interested in people and life.

She will be missed.  Love and prayers go out to her family and friends.

All of our memories of Aunt Joan are good ones. 

As kids growing up in Toledo in the 1960's, we looked forward to seeing Aunt Joan, Uncle Tom, Tommy, Peter, and Lori in the summers when our family went to West Orange or the Jersey Shore to visit our grandmother and Uncle EJ Daly (Aunt Joan's father and our great uncle). Aunt Joan could tell great stories, and even as a kid I was impressed with her body language which she used to great advantage when describing a person's behavior or how they said something!  Her life in Fort Lauderdale seemed so exotic, never cold, with  flowers and beach all year round!

When we were a little older, maybe around 1970, my parents piled us into the Chevy and we drove down I 75 from Toledo to Fort Lauderdale to spend Christmas with the Ridges. I was really impressed with Aunt Joan's house and garden, and especially remember smelling plumeria for the first time and being so struck with the great fragrance. She was a great host to us, and we totally enjoyed our first Christmas without snow.

Then, in the mid-1970's, we joined the throngs of wild young partyers and went to Fort Lauderdale every year for the famous SPRING BREAK!!!! Aunt Joan, Uncle Tom, and Lori had a yearly stream of wild young people crashing in that spare bedroom/laundry area year after year. She was always a great hostess, totally cool, very flexible, and able to talk with anyone about anything. We even had some parties at her house with the groups we came down with (I think there may still be some marks on her kitchen counter from a some sort of failed culinary experiment from one of our visits). One of my favorite memories is when Aunt Joan, upon seeing my bright red, sunburned skin after going to the beach with no sunscreen, laughed and took me into her yard. There, she pulled up an ordinary looking plant from her garden, told me it was called aloe vera, then broke it open and had me smear the inside gooey gel over my blistering skin. I don't think I've ever had so much relief from from anything since then, and keep an aloe plant in my garden now, just in case. I think of her every time I see it.

A few years ago, maybe 2005, we were in Boca Raton for a judo tournament and saw Lori, then drove down and had lunch with Aunt Joan at the Yankee Clipper. She showed us around the house (pointing out all the spots where some event or another had happened during a visit, and reminded us of all the adventures and people we'd been there with). And, during lunch, the younger generation got to hear about the 'good old days' as we reviewed all the visits from small kid time. She was in good spirits, and feisty as ever!!

We miss Aunt Joan. She was always very, very generous and gracious to us, and we appreciate it. We still tell the old stories over and over again, and laugh all over again every time. We are sure she is in heaven with Jesus, Uncle Tom, her Mom and Dad, Aunt Norma, Uncle Jack, Uncle Zip, our Mom Aunt Lu, and all her family and friends there....probably telling stories about her life on earth!

Our condolences to Tom, Peter, Lori, and their families. May God Bless you and keep you in your time of loss. You are in our prayers.

Godspeed, Aunt Joan!

With love,

Bill, Marge, and Patrick Sheehan
Honolulu, Hawaii

Tim Sheehan
Toledo, Ohio

Terry, Sheri, Daniel, Jonathan, and Nicole Sheehan
Toledo, Ohio

Aunt Joan was always great to all the Sheehan family. As kids in the 1960's, we always looked forward to seeing Aunt Joan, Uncle Tom, Tommy, Peter, and Lori on our visits from Toledo to West Orange or the Shore to visit our grandma and Uncle EJ Daly (Aunt Joan's father and our great uncle). 

Later on, we drove from Toledo to Fort Lauderdale over one Christmas and stayed with Aunt Joan and the family. I had never been so warm in December in my life! We had a great time, and Aunt Joan somehow figured out how to keep her own home going AND five more from Ohio!!!

When we were in college, we started this crazy tradition of going to Fort Lauderdale for SPRING BREAK!! Aunt Joan, Uncle Tom, and Lori played host to a collection of wild Midwestern college kids! I think there is still a mark on her counter in the kitchen from some sort of failed culinary experiment from one of our trips, like in about 1976. She was a great hostess. Flexible, tolerant, funny, and able to keep up a conversation with anyone and everyone we brought down. We all have memories to last a lifetime from those trips, and tell the same stories over and over from the experiences.

A few years ago, in about 2005, when Patrick was in a judo tournament in Boca Raton, we saw Lori and later drove down to have lunch with Aunt Joan at the Yankee Clipper. She was same old Aunt Joan, funny, full of stories, and able to laugh (again) as we remembered the 'good old days' for then next generation.

Thanks for everything, Aunt Joan. We miss you. We are sure you are in heaven with Jesus right now, telling stories about all your wild experiences with your family from Toledo!!! 

Our condolences and prayers are with Tommy, Peter, Lori, and their families in this time of loss.

Love,
Bill, Marge, and Patrick Sheehan
Honolulu, Hawaii

Tim Sheehan
Toledo, Ohio

Terry, Sheri, Daniel, Jonathan, and Nicole Sheehan
Toledo, Ohio

OBITUARY

Joan D Ridge

Born MAY 16, 1924

Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home & Cremation Center

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