Tribute

Joan (Wyllie) Lumgair was born at St. Boniface Hospital on December 29, 1938.  She passed away at Sunridge Place care home in the early hours of February 4, 2025.  Predeceased by her parents, Mary and James Wyllie and sister Sheila.  Survived by brother Donald, Charlie, her husband of 62 years , sons Stuart and Bruce, daughter Shauna and her husband, William Clinging.  Grandchildren, Connor of Prince George, Liam and fiance Kali Menu, and Rowan of Duncan.

She was raised on a family farm at Monominto, Manitoba.  Her grandparents lived on the same yard, giving her and her brother Don four loving adults in their home lives.  Her Mother was their first school teacher so Joan started school when she was four.  She and Don were always in the same grade.  The school was a one room rural school for grades 1 to 8, and 9 and 10 by correspondence.  Grades 11 and 12 were taken at Daniel McIntyre High School in Winnipeg while staying with Aunt Georgina and Uncle Dick.  Joan worked at Great West Life and Health of Animals for a couple of years, then attended Manitoba Teachers College.  Her first teaching position was at Woodnorth in western Manitoba. In 1960 Joan and a friend travelled to Galashiels in Scotland, where her grandparent’s had grown up, as well as a four week European tour.   In 1961 she and a friend holidayed in the Maritime provinces.  Her second and third years teaching were at Domain in a two room school.  The second year she was there, Margaret Lumgair, from Thornhill was her teaching colleague.  Marg’s brother Charlie stopped by on his way home from a business trip to Winnipeg to check on his younger sister and the rest is history.

Joan and Charlie were married at Ostenfeld on August 4, 1962.  They farmed at Thornhill until 1968, when they decided to move to BC in January of 1969.  Their children, Stuart 5 and Shauna 2, accompanied them and Bruce was born in June.  Joan had attained her Manitoba Permanent Teachers Certificate before leaving Manitoba and continued with BC University courses until she got her BC Permanent Certificate.  Her career as a stay at home Mom was interrupted often as she was also a TOC (Teacher on Call).  She spent many evenings playing ball with friends in Ladies Leagues, Mixed Leagues and Emergency Services League (Cowichan Bay Fire Department).

After having moved to BC and the many holiday trips to visit Manitoba families and friends and trips to explore Canada they realized their love of travel, seeing new places and meeting people.  In 1991 they travelled to Europe visiting relatives in Scotland, touring southern England and a three week tour of Europe.  1994 saw them back to Britain visiting England and Scotland and a bus tour in Wales and Ireland.    After retirement, and many trips exploring Canada and the USA, they made three more trips to Europe.  Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Greece, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Czech Republic are some of the countries visited.  In 2008 Joan and her cousin Jean’s visit to Peru and Bolivia including Machu Picchu.  In 2012 Joan and Charlie visited Haida Gwaii.

She and a partner Dorothy opened a gift shop in Whipple Tree Junction (south of Duncan) in 1985.  They enjoyed making gifts to sell and many business trips to purchase gifts and supplies.

She and Charlie moved to Chilliwack in 1989 where she enjoyed playing seniors ball, dancing and working at a gift shop and book store.

They retired to Logan Lake in 2000, where she again enjoyed seniors ball.  She joined the Arts Council where she took up painting, quilting and pottery.

In 2013 they returned to Duncan to be closer to health facilities, families and old friends.  In June of 2017, she moved to the loving care of the staff at Sunridge Place.   We are eternally grateful to them, each and every one.  Sincere Thanks!

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alzheimer’s Society of BC.

Celebration of Life to be held, February 15th at 2 pm – H. W. Wallace Cremation and Burial Centre.