On Monday, February 24th, 2020, Joan Sinding passed away, on her own terms, at home and surrounded by family, at age 82.
Joan was born on 29 October, 1937, in Farnworth, Lancaster, England, to Margaret Cookson (Seery) and John Cookson. She graduated from Bolton Municipal Technical College, and immigrated to Canada in 1959 . She worked as a legal secretary in Washington DC, Toronto and Hamilton, and in Burlington she created her own business, an arts and crafts shop named Greenbriar, which thrived from the 1980s to the 1990s.
She married Boje (Bill) Sinding in 1965, and raised three children, Chris (1967) and twins Rob and Mike (1970). Joan was a highly talented folk artist, and teacher of folk arts, at her shop and at the RBG and elsewhere. She loved to travel with Bill and her children, and to visit them in far-flung places. They loved working with their hands on all manner of imaginative projects. They loved to garden, and they created superb expansive gardens from scratch. They loved to cook, and they prepared wonderful feasts together. They loved to read, and devoured newspapers and magazines daily, and much of the library. They loved to dance, and learned the waltzes and polkas of the time, and got dressed up and went dancing to live bands at the local halls, into the morning hours. Some of these were “immigrants clubs”, as mom said (mom and dad met at one of them), but “the music united us all.”
Joan passed on her loves and her talents to her kids. She was a gentle, vital and caring and inspiring presence in all of our lives, always, the kindest person we have ever known.
Joan’s husband Bill and her sister Margaret passed away a few years ago.
Joan is survived and deeply missed by her children, her grand-daughter Abby, her daughters-in-law Melissa, Cheryl and Amy, and by extended family and good friends .
Joan and her family deeply thank Dr. Kate Prangley for her extraordinary, unfailing, warm and humane personal care in the past months and years. Kate is what doctors are meant to be. And in the background, over years, much gratitude also to Jennifer Wiernikowski, Jonathan Sussman, and Pat Smith.
Joan is very grateful to have been able to gather at home with family at the end, spending time looking over the old photos and sharing wonderful memories and meals and tea.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Cancer Assistance Program (CAP).
Mom told us to have a lunch together, to scatter her and Dad’s ashes in the garden (the Japanese maple, the lilac, the lavender), and to look after one another. And so we shall. A small private memorial has been arranged.
Thank you Mom, lots of love, and good-bye.