JOHNSON, Joyce

JOHNSON

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our mother, grandma, sister, auntie, niece, cousin and dear friend JOYCE MARIE NATALIA JOHNSON (née Strelioff). Mom fought many health battles over the last five years and had strength within her that we all marveled at. On November 18, she went home to be with the Lord.

Joyce will be forever missed but will be joining her parents Pauline and Peter Strelioff, her brother Len Strelioff, sister-in-law Grete, and numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and great friends.

Joyce leaves behind her brothers, Wayne (Coleen); Henry (Leona) [their daughter Mila (John, Ella, Cameron) and son Evan (Dana, Luke, Callie), and Len’s daughters Susan (Jeff, Gracie), Tricia (Ireland) and Joanne (Les, Matthew, Addison)]; her daughters, Tanya (Dave) Kalashnikov and Paula; grandchildren Madeline and Jackson; as well as many other very special family members and great friends, all of whom will miss her generosity, love, support, and sense of humor. Her family and friends were her life and always her top priority until the day she passed. Although we are grieving our loss and feeling an incredible absence from our lives, we are so grateful for cherished memories that we will hold dear forever. Our grief is only outmatched by our love for her. May we live by her example of incredible strength, courage, determination and perseverance.

Joyce was the eldest of four children. She and her family lived in Arelee, SK on a farm where she attended Balmae School. In 1948 the family moved to Saskatoon. She attended Buena Vista School and Mayfair School where she won the General Proficiency Award for Grade 8 graduating class. She attended Bedford Road High School (1954 to 1958) where she played saxophone in the school and Lions band. She received an ARCT piano designation and played piano in her dad’s orchestra. She attended Teacher’s College in Saskatoon 1958/59 and Graduated College of Education University of Saskatchewan in 1966. She taught at Pleasant Point School, North Battleford McKitrick School, Saskatoon Greystone Heights, and Eastend. She married, and when daughter Tanya came along, she had just taken a new teaching assignment in Alberta. In Lethbridge, Joyce made many great friends and became very involved in the close-knit community, enjoying the curling, dances, card parties, music concerts, and other fine art performances. She was very involved with music programing for School District Number 51 and 9, and helped with many of their musical competitions and events. There was a home and garden to tend, and she took pride in all the extracurricular activities of her children. Joyce was always ready with a meal whenever people stopped by. She enjoyed time with friends and family and would always be up for a good family jam session. With her daughters almost grown, she ventured back into the classroom with the support of the St. Francis staff and students until her retirement.

Once retired, Joyce hosted and travelled the world extensively and most fondly with her Lethbridge chapter of Friendship Force. She dressed wildly with her all her Liddle Biddies from Crown Jewels of Canadian Society. She would spend the day gardening and all-night playing bridge. She enrolled every semester in LSCO classes and still had energy to cheer at horse shows, hockey, soccer, dance and school recitals. Joyce enjoyed catching up with former curlers and colleagues via Alberta Retired Teachers and reconnecting with Faculty Wives on Thursdays at The Kingsmen’s Ale House. She continued countless hours volunteering at the hospital, charity canvassing, and regularly attended church and luncheons of the Southern Alberta Council of Public Affairs. She always took great joy in filling her calendar and accepted every celebration invitation. She was always eager to help and support not only family and friends but anyone she saw in need; her kindness was truly her trademark.

The family would like to thank Dr. Strank, her In-Home Care Team, and all the wonderful staff at Peter Lougheed Centre, Chinook Regional Hospital, and St. Michael’s Health Centre for all their care, kindness and compassion during Joyce’s complex journey.

Flowers are gratefully declined. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Covenant Health Foundation (contact Ben Kwan: ben.kwan@covenanthealth.ca) or a charity of one’s choice.

Cremation has been entrusted to Cornerstone Funeral Home.

To send a condolence, please visit www.cornerstonefuneralhome.com