Obituary of Joan Isabel Bailey

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our mother Joan Isabel Bailey on October 12, 2017. She passed away peacefully in her home in Saskatoon surrounded by her family at the age of 72. Mom was born to Frances and Bjarne Hansen in Regina, but raised in Eatonia. She married our dad, Dewain Bailey, in 1963. Mom had a love of music at an early age, which was encouraged by her grandfather Kolbjorn, and her mother and father. She learned to play piano from the same teacher who taught her mother. She played accordion, and she played xylophone with her father and neighbours in the Community Band. It was important to her to share her love of music with her children and with the community, accompanying School Band students, “My Girls” (United Church Junior Choir), playing in Church, and accompanying Community Choirs! Mom enjoyed the outdoors with gardening, flowers, and fussing over fruit and ornamental trees. She enjoyed the Harvest Season, especially if it meant that she didn’t have to worry about making meals for the field, and was able to drive combine. She and Dad shared a love of horses, and they went on many trail rides together including two Wagon Treks to Lloydminster in 1993 and again in 2003 re-enacting the Barr Colonist Trail for its 100th Anniversary. Mom loved traveling and seeing the world, she enjoyed entertaining & her weekly bridge group. She had a love of the Christmas season and always had the house beautifully decorated. In her later years she developed a passion for quilting and the people she met through it. Mom made quilts for her family, and her grandchildren, her nieces and nephews and their kids. Her last quilt was finished a few days before her death with the help of her very close friend Sherry, who stopped in for a visit and sleep over which ended up being her last Quilting Retreat! Joan will be lovingly missed by Dewain, and their children, Rob (Kathi), Tracey-Ann (Jim), & Tjana (Warren). She will also be missed by her grandchildren, Kendra, Charlie, Danielle, Krue, her brother Jim (Debbie) and sister Barbara (Stephen). We know mom would want to express thanks to various care providers including Dr. Colin, Dr. Moser and others at the Cancer Clinic, and Nurses Next Door and the Palliative Care Nurses who came to their home. A special thank you to her pharmacist Jenn. Those who wish may make memorial donations to the Grandmothers Campaign, sponsored by the Stephen Lewis Foundation (grandmotherscampaign.org); or to the Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca).