Life Story of Joan Heather Easton

The last eighteen years have been a very exciting time for Joan. Her and Ray have had a wonderful life together. After retiring, the couple took great pleasure in helping their children raise their own families. It was at this point that Ray became a little sedate and got diabetes. After battling the disease for 13 years, Ray passed away on September 11, 2006, after a long and fulfilling life. Joan had her fair share of health scares, with shoulder replacement surgery in 2008, hip replacement surgery in 2010 and bowel cancer twenty years ago. Despite all of this, Joan has always kept her upbeat and energetic personality. She is incredibly proud of her three children, who now have families of their own. Duncan Stuart is a retired doctor who works in medical administration, and lives in Brisbane with his wife Alena. Julianne (Julie) lives in Varsity Lakes and is a pharmacist. Her daughter Elizabeth is Joan’s oldest grandchild (37 years old this year) and works as an accountant. Elizabeth is also the mother of Joan’s first (and currently only) great-child, having daughter Juliette (3 years old) with her husband David. Julie’s other child, Stuart Osachuk, is a builder who is living in Tweed Heads with partner Nicole. Joan’s three other grandchildren are the children of her son Philip. Johnathan (27) is a high school teacher at Deception Bay High School, where he lives with his partner Dani. Nicholas, the middle child, is a 25-year-old musician, while the youngest Amy, three years younger than her brother, is a circus performer in Flipside Circus. In 2009, Joan moved into Oznam Villa Aged Care Facility, at age 88. Throughout the many conversations that I had with Joan, she was constantly telling me how much she loves her new home. Still incredibly passionate, even at age 97, Joan wears the colour red every single day (which makes her look lovely), loves to play bingo and prays every night, reminiscent of her 60-year worship at St John’s Anglican Church. She also loves it when her son Duncan visits to put on a concert for all of the Oznam Villa residents. Although many of Joan’s memories have faded, she also has many that are very close to her heart. You would not meet a more passionate, energetic and lovely lady. She has had a wonderful life, and continues to enjoy it each and every day.

20