Joan Fargey (nee Barton)

Born January 24, 1932 Winnipeg, MB – February 1, 2015, Sidney, BC

Daughter of Carmen Dwight Barton and Elsie Rhoda Fraser.

Joan is survived by:

Sons:

Patrick “Pat” Fargey, Karin Smith-Fargey, sons Ben (Lacy Bertrand) and Ian Fargey

Michael Fargey

Peter Fargey, Emily Shaw, Noelle “Rose” and Ewan “EJ” Fargey

Niece and nephews:

Karen Carter

John (Tracy) Carter

David Carter, Melissa Jennings and Thomas Carter

Nephews:

Stephen Zaruby, Laura Pierce and Anna Zaruby

Jeff Zaruby, Jennifer Pennington, Connor and Cooper Zaruby

Niece and nephew:

Dayelle Fargey

Kyle Fargey, Megan Kozminski

Brother in law Walter Zaruby and Sister in Law Mona Fargey

Joan was caring, giving, earnest and sincere to her last breath. Born and raised in Winnipeg, sport and social participation shaped her life. Flatwater paddling became a passion in high school (Daniel MacIntyre) and this continued well beyond. She competed in several National Championships and on occasion, to North American events.

She began a career as a “secretary”, but given that she did not like this, very true to form, she changed directions to become a career X-Ray Technician, and X-Ray Unit “Manager”. She married husband Jack Fargey after a lengthy and long distance relationship, first having met at a community event while both were in high school. Jack was 6 years into the RCMP when they married. Vegreville, AB was their first stop where Pat was born, followed by Mike in Hinton, and Pete in Mayerthorpe. Taber, Bonnyville and Stettler rounded out her family’s residential tour through Alberta.

From her roots in Winnipeg, to these communities, curling became her healthy sporting obsession. To the very end she held this obsession – as a focussed, and quite strategy opinionated, spectator. In each of the communities she lived in, she was a keen participant in the curling scenes found there – whether locally, playdown, or any competitive progress made from there. The many friends that she made through curling were quite like those she made otherwise – life long.

At any of the stops the family made, she always worked at the local hospital, and did not like the brief stints when she was not. She set the pace at home too – her rhythm was that which the family happily danced with, and to. Her engaging and inclusive personality, healthy curiousity, love of humour, social touch, and essential gentle and generous spirit, was without fail felt by those she passed by and worked or played with.   As can the many she stayed in touch with. She always had time to listen, and time for you to share. It was not coincidence that the Fargey place, in whatever town, was a place where lots of kids liked to hang out when her boys were of school age.

And it is certainly very telling of her personality that she took, and even lead, yoga after age 50, set herself up to downhill ski for 8 years after an early retirement at age 60, and then finally sailed on her own to fulfill a lifelong prairie girl desire to live by the sea – at age 75. She was always a committed and contributing member of the United Church in each community she lived in. Always one to finish, she did so, quite literally, to the very end.

Through circumstance, and indeed by disposition, she lived the Serenity Prayer. With one caveat – there was always hope. She will be missed by all those she touched, and would hope to be remembered by sharing in the example of how she chose to live.