Edie Joan (Sinclair) Crossley Yuill

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Joan Crossley Yuill on December 16, 2024 at the Grandview Personal Care Home at the age of 94.

Joan was born in Grandview, MB August 13, 1930, the youngest of seven children to Ella (Wilson) and Donald Sinclair. Joan attended several schools in Manitoba as her Forest Ranger father was moved to various locations in Manitoba. She and her mother managed on their own during WW2 as her father and four brother all served in the Armed Forces, all but the youngest were overseas.

In October 1949 Joan married Elmer Crossley at the Durban United Church in the Swan Valley. They spent one year in Flin Flon before returning home to farm with Elmer’s parents. Together they raised three sons on their farm in the Wicklow District in the RM of Grandview. Joan and Elmer enjoyed entertaining their friends at home and while camping and fishing at Childs Lake in the Duck Mountains. They toured to many interesting prairie destinations especially in their retirement time together.

Joan is survived by two sons: Bruce (Carolyn) and Richard (Karen); five grandchildren: Treena (Ken) Slate, Glen (Cheryl) Crossley, Nathan (Melanie) Crossley, Erin (Darcy) Brasch and Shayla (Lance) Hazlewood. Also left to cherish her memory are her great grandchildren: Tianna (Easton) Borsboom, Nolan Slate, Paige Crossley, Gavin and Taelor Crossley, Kaidyn and Matthew Brasch, Alayna, Grayson, Quinn, and Emmett Hazlewood, step-great grands Tyrell and Kylee, step-son Douglas Yuill, step-grandson Ryoma Yuill and many nieces and nephews.

Joan was predeceased by her first husband of 47 years Elmer Crossley in April 1997; her youngest son Curtis in March 1976; her second husband of 25 years Allan Yuill in July 2024; her daughter-in-law Gail Crossley in August 2017; her parents and her siblings Allison McClelland, Dorothy Hamilton, Fred, Bill, Jim and Bruce Sinclair.

When her sons were all in school, Joan worked for the Grandview Co-op for 15 years as bookkeeper and accountant, then for the Grandview United Church as Secretary-Treasurer for several years. She was very active in the United Church at the local, Presbytery and Conference levels, serving on the Executives of all and as President of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwest Ontario 1996-97.

Joan’s strong faith helped her to bear the shock and grief of the sudden deaths of her husband Elmer and their son Curtis. In December 1998 Joan married Allan Yuill, a retired career soldier and a cousin of Elmer’s.

Finding love and happiness again was a great gift,  Joan and Allan enjoyed several years of travel together and they paid visits to many of the Armed forces bases across Canada in Allan’s capacity as the appointed Colonel Commandant of the Military Police, having originally retired in 1988 as a Brigadier General in the Canadian Armed Forces. Joan very much enjoyed learning something of the military and made many good friends in those years. They also went on several cruises, her favorite destination was the south Pacific, but much enjoyed travel to Hawaii, San Diego, Alaska, Caribbean Islands, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Germany and France. Joan and Allan celebrated 25 years of marriage while both were residents in the Grandview Personal Care Home.

The family appreciates and is grateful for the excellent care and attention provided to Joan by the staff of the Grandview Personal Care Home.

A Funeral Service was held for Joan on Monday, December 30, 2024 at 2:00 pm from the Grandview United Church in Grandview with Rev. Luckson Mariba officiating.   

Interment to follow in Grandview Memorial Gardens & District Cemetery in the spring. 

Should friends so desire, donations in memory of Joan may be made to Grandview & District Community Foundation Inc. 

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