Joan V. Bertrand Jones

Joan V. (Bertrand) Jones was born in Fresno, California on April 21, 1931, the beloved only child of Jean P. and Doris M. (Golden) Bertrand. She passed away on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Fresno, two weeks shy of her 91st birthday.

Joan spent her childhood in Fresno, attending St. Theresa’s School, Fresno High School and then Fresno Junior College. While in high school she met her sweetheart, Paul Jones, at a local movie theater where they both were working. She was the “popcorn girl” and he was an usher. They married on September 6, 1952. Joan and Paul lived in Honolulu, Hawai’i, where Paul, in the United States Navy, was stationed. While there, their first child, Mark was born. They returned to the mainland to live in Long Beach, California and soon after, their second child, Lorraine, was born in Corona Naval Hospital.

In December,1960 Joan and Paul and their young children moved to Del City, Oklahoma where they lived until July, 2008. During these years, Joan was a devoted wife, homemaker, and mother. She attended Oscar Rose Junior College and learned the trade of bookkeeping. She then served as bookkeeper for two of the companies that Paul founded. Later she worked for several years as a proofreader for a local yellow pages directory company where she was greatly appreciated by the salesmen that could not seem to spell correctly! Over the years, Joan was a member of the Royal Neighbors of America, Beta Sigma Phi social sorority, and The Officers Wives Club. Joan was also highly active in the PTA of her children’s school, Sacred Heart School in Oklahoma City. She served as a Den Mother, and eventually the Pack Mother of Mark’s Cub Scout Troop and Pack. Joan and Paul were active members of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Del City (later named St. Paul, Apostle), running weekly Bingo Nights to raise funds for a parish school bus service. Later they became congregants of Little Flower Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. Joan and Paul moved back to Fresno in 2008, whereupon they became members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Joan is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Paul, and two grandsons, Jeremy and Joshua Jones.

She is survived by her son Mark and his wife Lisa; her daughter Lorraine Brando and her husband Robert; grandsons Derek Jones and his wife Christina, and Brian Brando and his wife Erin; granddaughters Chelsea Sahs and her husband Hunter, and Leslie Brando; great-grandsons Luke and Jack Jones; beloved brothers- and sisters-in law, nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 355 E Champlain Drive, Fresno, California 93730, on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. Family and friends may gather at the church before the Mass, 8:45 – 9:20 for sharing of memories. Private committal service at St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery, 264 N Blythe Ave, Fresno, California 93706, will follow the Mass.

Contributions in Joan's memory may be made to Holy Spirit Catholic Church, and Greater Fresno Parkinson's Support Group, gfpsg.org