January 15, 1942 – July 23, 2025
at the age of 83 years:     

With great sadness we announce that Joan left this world early on the morning of July 23.  With family by her side, she became a free spirit and joined her husband in heaven.

Joan is survived by her daughter Lianne (Brent) and son Kristopher (Leslie) grandchildren Alexander, Braydon, Graham and Rielle. Joan was predeceased by Allen, her husband of 63 years.

Joan was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, the middle of three children to Grace and Olaf Christensen. In 1960 she married Allen, the love of her life, and they travelled across Canada with the Air Force. After a number of moves and career changes they settled with their two kids on the West Coast.  When they decided to retire it was the Shuswap they fell in love with, and in 2000 began building their own home in Anglemont. The project was a labour of love for them both.  It was there that they found a deep sense of community and developed friendships that lasted their lifetimes.

While Joan had a number of health challenges most of her life, never ever did they define her. She was eternally optimistic, always seeing the future with bright possibility. She was an avid gardener finding peace and joy anytime she could put her hand to the soil and tend her plants.  She was a talented artist who captured beauty with a variety of mediums and her art is treasured by those she gifted it to. Joan was always eager to spend time with friends, the Queen of entertaining with snacks and dips and a lot of laughter. Most of all what defined her was the love and pride she had for her family.  Sometimes boastful but always unconditional, she let all of us know how important we were to her.

She is dearly missed and a memorial/celebration of her life will be held in the fall.