SHANNON, Joan
June 2, 1931 - January 5, 2021
Joan Shannon (Kersgaard) passed away on January 5th at the age of 89 surrounded by love after a courageous battle with cancer.
Hers was a story of strength, elegance, heartbreak and organized chaos, but mostly of love. She met her husband, William Shannon (Bill), while working as a nurse at St Mary's Hospital, prophetically on the maternity ward where she would return as an expectant mother twelve times, blessed with seven boys and five girls.
Their large, beautiful family was always the rallying point for throngs of kids, neighbours, friends and extended family. Joan and Bill shared a deep love for each other, which they modelled for their children, even in the chaos of a home with twelve kids under the age of 18. The cottage in Willsboro on Lake Champlain was a cherished gathering place over her lifetime where a multitude of family and friends would gather every summer.
When Bill died of cancer in 1986, Joan was just 55 and still had six kids living at home. Grief-stricken, and with stretched resources, she put her trademark resilience on full display. She went back to work, instilling in her kids the gift of self-sufficiency at an early age. Through her determination, encouragement and unflappable nature, she successfully launched her kids from the nest to become entrepreneurs, engineers, a school teacher, real estate professionals, a filmmaker, finance professionals and a doctor. But she measured success and happiness in another, more important way; her 30+ grandchildren and 4+ great grandchildren, the absolute loves of her life.
Throughout her life, she was a beacon of light in a moment of darkness. When her son Bill Shannon succumbed to his battle with ALS at 49, leaving behind five boys and his beautiful wife Anna, it punctured her heart. While devastated, she never lost sight that she could best honour his life by improving the lives of others. Instead of retreating in her pain, she redoubled her efforts to wrap her arms around her family. Through her actions, she gave permission to grieve, but to also live.
Joan's youngest child, Judy, was a galvanizing force in a chaotic household. Born with Down Syndrome, Judy became Joan's alter ego. Affectionately known to the family as The Golden Girls, they were inseparable. Her love of Judy was boundless. She was also a fierce advocate of the integration of children with special needs into public schools. Their life together was filled with skiing, gardening and travelling. Their volunteer work, which took the form of knitted blankets for homeless teenagers, is still visible in the streets of Montréal.
To say Joan was one of a kind would be an understatement. She was a truly elegant person who lived fully and was loved fiercely. She leaves behind a tremendous legacy and an example for her children of how to love and be loved, and how to build a family with unshakable bonds.
Joan's twelve children and spouses are Deborah (Robert Trudeau), Mike (Janet Cameron), Donna (Alec Paterson), Gary (Kim Holden), Dan (Isabelle Depelteau), Suzanne (Éric Blais), Bill (Anna Kyrtatas), Jim (Maude Leblond), Mark, John (Melissa Wreford), Joanne (Robert Julien) and Judy. Joan was predeceased by her parents Hugo and Helga Kersgaard, her loving sister Yvonne Sundstrom and younger brother Ernie.
She will never be forgotten. The splash she made will ripple through time forever.
A funeral and celebration of life will be held at a later date. You are invited to visit the following link www.joanshannon.ca where we can keep you updated on our plans.