JOYCE COULL (STANKO)

With her family by her side, Joyce passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023 at Beacon Hill Lodge at the age of 85 years.

Joyce will be forever missed by her children, Donna (Bill) and David (Trish); grandchildren Kyle (Jenn), Amanda, Aaren and Evan; and a great-grandson. She will also be remembered by extended family and friends in Manitoba, England, Scotland and Norway.

Joyce was born in Winnipeg, the only child of John and Erna Coull. Her father, John, went overseas with the Canadian Corps of Firefighters in 1942 and was killed by a V-1 rocket near Wimbledon, England in July 1944 when Joyce was 6 years old. She attended Gordon Bell High School, where she also excelled at badminton and roller dance skating. In July, 1955 Joyce was so happy when her mother remarried, allowing Ernst Opstad to be Joyce’s beloved stepfather. After high school graduation, Joyce started her first permanent job at the Wheat Board.

Joyce married Danny Stanko in August of 1960, and the births of their children, Donna and David soon followed. They raised their family in the house on Kingswood Avenue in St. Vital.

It was purely on a whim a few years later, when Joyce was visiting a friend at the Winnipeg General Hospital (now Health Sciences Centre), that she filled out a job application. The rest is history. If you ever asked Joyce what her job was, she was proud to tell you that she was the person who asked all the nosey questions while you were bleeding to death in the ER. She worked as an admitting clerk in the Adult ER and PsycHealth departments for over 30 years, retiring in 2003.

Camping and fishing were yearly events for family vacations: Royal Lake, Banff, Jasper and BC were fond favourites. Joyce first travelled overseas in 1948, when she and her mother took the train to New York and then boarded a ship bound for Norway, where they stayed for 6 weeks. Much later, in 2003, she would travel with David to England and Scotland, where a firefighters’ commemoration event was held for her father at the site of his death.

And even though her children were her pride and joy, Joyce was over the moon when she became a grandmother. She would often say, “If I’d known grandchildren were this much fun, I would have had them first!” Joyce delighted in spending time with her four grandchildren and attending every sports event, school plays, band concert, graduation or awards ceremony they had.

Books were Joyce’s first love and, as a voracious reader, she would read anything and everything she could, from Harlequin Romance and Reader’s Digest books to true crime and biographies. She always said that she could never go to sleep without reading at least one chapter of a book.

Joyce's love of animals was very evident. Her home was never complete unless it had dogs, cats, birds, fish or the occasional gerbil or white mouse. Reptiles fascinated her and she was excited when David would take her to the Reptile Shows. She enjoyed cards and games, and was a fierce competitor at rummy, cribbage, whist and backgammon. Newspaper crossword and word search puzzles kept her busy

on a daily basis and she also had a myriad of online computer puzzle games that she played. Her other hobbies included knitting and embroidery. There really was no idle time in Joyce’s day.

Joyce loved anything to do with music. She looked forward to the annual Rainbow Stage productions and Celine concerts that she and Donna would attend. The Sound of Music and the original version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas were two of her favourite movies. She could listen to Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, The Tenors and Michael Bublé all day long. She tried her best to watch every Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg Blue Bomber and Team Canada hockey games.

Joyce was proud of living independently in her own home along with her dogs. She had a supportive trio of amazing 'neighbour' friends (Pat, Liz and Alan), who all looked out for each other. They were instrumental in Joyce being able to stay in her home for a much longer time.

 In February 2020 Joyce became ill, was hospitalized and then transitioned to Beacon Hill Lodge when the forward progress of her dementia could not be stalled. She was heartbroken to leave her home and neighbourhood friends, especially with the visitor restrictions imposed by the pandemic but she quickly became an integral member of the 7th floor family at Beacon Hill. Joyce was hailed as their warrior, as she contracted COVID-19 on four separate occasions with nothing more than minor cold symptoms.

We extend our deepest thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to the compassionate staff at Beacon Hill Lodge, who provided exceptional care and support to Joyce during her years there.

In accordance with Joyce's wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family interment will be held in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choosing.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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