Obituary of Margaret (Joan) Norman (née Nicholas)

October 30, 1940 - Hamilton, Ontario
December 1, 2021 - Calgary, Alberta

Joan Norman passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at the age of 81 years. She was predeceased by her loving husband Lloyd, who passed away in April of 2020.

Joan was born on October 30, 1940, in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1947, her family planned to move to Vancouver. While travelling across the country by train, they stopped in Penhold, Alberta, to visit family and discovered that all of their belongings had been destroyed by a fire in the Hamilton railyard. As a result, the family stayed in Penhold for a few months (attending the one-room schoolhouse in the village) before continuing on to Vancouver to start over. 

As a child, Joan was active in Brownies, Girl Guides, and Sea Rangers, and was able to enjoy exploring the beautiful nature available at the Guide camp on the Sunshine Coast, north of Vancouver. In school, she was active in various sports and was on her high school cheerleading team.

Joan was amazing with numbers, had an incredible memory, and was very organized and detail oriented - which suited her well during her lifelong career in accounting. 

Joan met her husband Lloyd while they were both working for Western Insurance in 1967. He was located in the Calgary office, she was in Vancouver, and it was online dating 1960s style: by tele-type. At the end of each message, he would press the “alert” button that would ring the bell in Joan’s office in Vancouver, where staff would laugh and say “Joan, you better answer”. Joan soon moved to Calgary, to be with Lloyd.

She worked for many years at the Calgary Catholic School Board, applying her accounting background to support several schools (including Bishop Grandin High School, where both Nicole and D’Arcy attended).

As Joan was a sea cadet and girl guide, she made sure her children get outside often, which fostered their deep love of nature and the outdoors. She volunteered as a Boy Scout and Girl Guide leader, with her community doing various activities, and also with Daughters of the Nile (helping with the annual circus, parades, clown events, tin lizzies, and making so many apple pies). She was proud of the work she did with Lloyd to support the Shriners Children’s hospital, travelling on several bus trips with Lloyd (who was a Shriner) to provide support for families as they accessed the hospital in Spokane for their child’s treatment. 

Anyone who knew her realized that she played the “straight man” to Lloyd’s antics over the years. Although she rolled her eyes (along with the rest of us), his ability to make her laugh was an important part of their marriage. Joan and Lloyd completed each other, and she missed him deeply after he passed.

After a long struggle with several medical issues, Joan is at peace and without pain. Somewhere, she is rolling her eyes at Lloyd’s pranks once again (but laughing, inside).

She is remembered by her family, including stepson Kevin and granddaughters, Callista and Jessalyn; stepson Gary (Reta), grandson Jordan (Kelsey), and great-grandsons, Liam and Jackson, granddaughter Danielle and great-granddaughter Shayanne, and grandson Christopher (Samantha), and great-grandsons, Jadyn and Tye); son D'Arcy (Janice), grandson Evan; daughter Nicole (Don), grand-daughters, Hailey and Makayla; sister Gail Nicholas and sister-in-law Nadine Nicholas, as well as many other family members. Joan was predeceased by her brother Jim, and sister Nancy.
 
A Private Funeral Service will be held on Friday, December 10, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mrs. Norman’s service streamed live (see below) on the day of the service. For those who are unable to view live, a recording of the service will be posted. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Margaret “Joan” Norman, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.

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