Joan (Stinson) Suderman

Peacefully, after a long illness, Joan Suderman died at St. Paul's Personal Care Home  in Dauphin, MB on October 1, 2019.

Joan was born on October 26, 1931 in Newdale, MB, the sixth and youngest child of Arthur and Elizabeth (Lamb) Stinson.  When she was five years old, the family moved to MacGregor, MB where they operated a boarding house.  She attended elementary and secondary school in MacGregor and enrolled in teacher's college at the Manitoba Provincial Normal School in Winnipeg in 1949.  There she met John Suderman of Greenfarm, MB.  The pair dated, but then broke up because her Scottish United Church background was so different from John's southern Manitoba Mennonite upbringing.  But love prevailed and they were married in Winnipeg on August 13, 1952, during the height of the polio epidemic, which prevented some family members from attending because of the fear of disease would spread in group settings.

Joan began her teaching career in Chater, MB, near Brandon, in 1950, teaching for two years until her marriage to John.  They lived in Neuenberg, near Winkler for the first year of their married life, and then to Kane, MB, north of Winkler in 1953.  The couple moved to Kane, MB in 1953, where she taught for four months before their first son Gary was born.  In 1960, the young family moved to Winnipeg so John could attend university to complete his Bachelor of Arts degree.

Upon his graduation in the spring of 1962 they moved to Dauphin where John taught high school.  Their second son Keith was born in 1963.  When Keith started school in 1969, Joan returned to the classroom both as a student and a teacher, teaching elementary school in Dauphin and also taking university classes in the evenings and summers, graduating with a Bachelor of General Studies from Brandon University in 1984.  She retired from teaching in 1987.

Joan was an active member of the community as a bridge player, curler, square dancer, and a church member.  Bridge was one of her favourite past-times, and she played for many years with partner Marlene Kentner, becoming quite skilled in the game.  She was a faithful member of the United Church Women, serving in many leadership positions and chairing special projects.

She curled throughout her adult life, playing all positions except skip in club curling, bonspiels or casual pick up games.  Joan and John danced for many years with the Parkland Promenaders, making many good friends through square dance.  They joined an advanced level dance group in Kelowna for a decade, gaining both dancing skills and many more friends through this hobby.

Joan was introduced to skiing, by her sons Gary and Keith and from then on it was downhill all the way.  She enjoyed the slopes in the Canadian Rockies, including Lake Louise, Sunshine, Jasper, Fernie, Silver Star, Apex, Panorama and especially Big White.  In their retirement years, Joan and John spent 10 winters in Kelowna where they spent many hours skiing Big White.  Joan and John also traveled the world, visiting Australia, Europe, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hawaii, as well as pulling their little Triple E trailer from coast to coast in Canada, and one year visited every province in Canada.  The last international trip she took with John was attending the passion play in Oberammergau, Germany in 2010.  She also spent many summers at their cabin in Dunwurkin at Lake Manitoba, where she learned to water ski.

Joan's health began to decline after a series of strokes, and in 2013 she moved to St. Paul's Personal Care Home.

Joan was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Eileen Lewis, Mildred Goodwin, Doris McCarl and Audrey Stinson, and her brother Bruce, as well as two nieces, Rae Colbert and Adrene Bruce.

She is survived by her husband John of Dauphin, her sons Gary and his partner Anne Galibois of Burnaby, BC, and Keith and his partner Nancy Ide of Poughkeepsie, New York, as well as her cousin Enid Clarke, nieces Merle Hodge and Margaret Lewis, nephew Jim McCarl, and many Suderman in-laws and nieces and nephews.  They will remember her infectious laugh, big smile, great sense of humour, love of family and generous hospitality.

Memorial Service was held on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 2:00 pm from Dauphin First United Church in Dauphin, MB with Ilene Dowd officiating.  Interment will take place in Beaver Creek Cemetery in MacGregor, MB.  

Should friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Joan may be made to St. Paul's Home in Dauphin.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joan (Stinson) Suderman, please visit our floral store.