Joan Drohan
elevated XOtIP May 26th, 1931~October 22nd, 2024
elevated XOtIP Funeral Mass
Friday, November 1st, 2024 at 11:00 a.m
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
3055 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON M8X 1C6
elevated XOtIP Interment of Cremated Remains
Assumption Catholic Cemetery
elevated XOtIP Obituary
elevated XOtIP Joan Mariann Drohan, a warm, generous, compassionate woman, died October 22, 2024, at the age of 93. She passed away at the home of her daughter Catherine Shaw and son-in-law Michael Wilson, where she had lived for almost five years. Her family is utterly bereft.
elevated XOtIP “I have had a good life,” Joan told her children near the end of her life. And that was largely true. But her happiness was sometimes mixed with sorrow.
elevated XOtIP She was born in Quebec City to Vera Dinan and Victor Dussault, the fourth of five children. Hers was a happy childhood. Summers were spent swimming and paddling at the family cottage on Lac St-Joseph. Winter meant skiing at Lac Beauport or swimming and skating at the Winter Club. Her love of swimming was a constant in her life.
elevated XOtIP She had to leave family and friends behind when she married Jack Drohan in 1952 and moved to Ontario. It was an abrupt transition for someone educated by French-Canadian nuns at the Ursuline and Bellevue convents. She returned to Quebec as often as possible, usually with multiple children in tow.
elevated XOtIP Joan and Jack had eight children over the span of 11 years: twins Mary-Lou (Greg) and Terry (Jeff), Joyce (Roland), Madelaine (David), Sharon (David), Frank, Paul (Joyce), and Catherine (Mike). They blessed her with 11 grandchildren: Wyatt (Victoria), Bronwynn (Pete), Taylor (Steve), and Madison Shaw (Connor); Corbin (Allyson), Lauren (Jesse), and Madi Lott (C.J.); and Campbell, Mackenzie, Megan and Emma Drohan. She lived long enough to meet her six great-grandchildren and knew that more were on the way: Annie and Frankie (Corbin and Allyson); Jack (Madi and C.J.); Miles (Bronwynn and Pete); Nolan (Madison and Connor), and Beckham (Wyatt and Victoria).
elevated XOtIP Joan and Jack gave their children the priceless gift of a happy childhood. They were generous with their time, taking their growing family on picnics and weekend excursions, when both must have been exhausted. Later, they created their own family haven on Georgian Bay. It was close to Craigleith Ski Club, where they shared their love of skiing with their children. There was always room at the cottage for friends and family to celebrate special occasions together.
elevated XOtIP Despite the distance between Toronto and Quebec City, Joan and Jack remained close to her sister Lou and brother-in-law Raymond Côté and their children, André, Richard, and Sam (now deceased). The two couples made multiple trips to France, enjoying the wine and just being with each other.
elevated XOtIP Her sorrows started in 1958, when her younger brother Pete died in a car accident. Her son Frank died of cancer in 1982. Her husband Jack, whom she was devoted to for almost 65 years, died in 2015. Her daughter Joyce died of cancer in 2022. The extended family was further shaken by the deaths of son-in-law Roland Küpfer in 2018, step-grand-daughter Elizabeth Lord in 2021, and son-in-law Jeff Roddick in 2024. She was predeceased by all her siblings and their spouses: Lou (Raymond), Sheila (Louis Poitevin), Ronnie (Colette Boulet), and Pete.
elevated XOtIP Joan will be missed by her friends Marcelle Vandry, Barb Pinto, and Marg Clarke; her many nephews and nieces, including André (Johanne) and Richard (Sylvie) Côté; Madeleine
elevated XOtIP (Richard) and Pierre Dussault; and David Drohan; and by the many others who kept in touch, including Peter Doyle, Mark Heydon-O’Neil, Anne-Marie Hurley, Marcella Küpfer, and Pablo Küpfer.
elevated XOtIP The family would like to thank the people who cared for Joan in her later years, including Liza Darauay, Janet Mellor, Diana Johnston, Tara Basnett, and the caregivers from Home Care Assistance.
elevated XOtIP A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows, 3055 Bloor Street West, Etobicoke, at 11 am Friday, November 1. Family members will be at the church from 10 am to greet those who attend. The mass will be followed by a private burial at Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Joan’s memory to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund Canada, Sick Kids Foundation or a charity of your choice.
I will miss you Joan. We had great conversations over the phone. You were always there for me in my moments of sorrow.Thank you .
You always be a dear friend
I’ll be missing my boss lady. Especially, our sweet conversations on the phone. It’s hard to forget you. With our sweet smile and laughters. Thank you, for pushing me to study as a PSW. I was so happy that i finished it. And now, i am a registered PSW. You are one of the best employer. You’ll be remembered forever. May you rest in peace.
Joan I miss you terribly
We laughed together had fun outings together
We cooked vegetable soup,sang and joked
You were an amazing intelligent woman who loved her children
An amazing five months by your side has made me a better person thank you for sharing your life with me
Love you forever
Janet 💔🙏🙏💕😭😭😭😭
I will miss this beautiful and wonderful lady. I am very saddened by her passing. She truly lived a great life.
There are friends, there’s family, and then there are those very rare friends who become family for life… that what was Joan for me. We meet around the age of 5 and grew up together in Québec City as neighbors. Joan always used the same little path behind our homes to visit me. My Mom used to call her “My backdoor girl”. Joan, I will miss your presence in my life, your frequent calls to catch up and your laugh. Thinking of you Joan and our times together as “sisters who never fought” will always put a smile on my face. I will miss you dearly…
Deepest condolences from the entire Küpfer/Cauty families.
Mrs. Drohan will be forever in our hearts; we will miss her beautiful smile and her kind words. Godspeed.
Nos plus sincères condoléances à toute la famille Drohan/ Dussault pour le départ de tante Joan.
Ce fut un privilège de la connaître et de la côtoyer. C’était une personne d’une grande générosité et d’une chaleur inoubliable. Son sourire et son amour pour les autres illuminaient chaque moment passé en sa compagnie. Son rire joyeux résonne encore dans nos cœurs, et sa bonté d’âme restera gravée dans nos mémoires. Elle avait cette rare capacité de rendre chaque moment plus lumineux. Chacune de ses visites au lac St-Joseph était l’occasion d’évoquer les souvenirs de sa jeunesse et ses nombreuses amitiés. Que ces précieux souvenirs remplis de tendresse et de joie puissent apaiser un peu votre peine et vous apporter du réconfort dans cette épreuve. Nous garderons longtemps en mémoire le souvenir de la personne merveilleuse qu’elle était. On pense fort à vous et à toute la famille en ces moments difficiles.
Our deepest condolences to the entire Drohan/Dussault family for the passing of Aunt Joan. It was a privilege to know her and spend time with her. She was a person of great generosity and unforgettable warmth. Her smile and love for others lit up every moment in her presence. Her joyful laughter still echoes in our hearts, and her kindness will remain forever in our memories. She had that rare ability to make every moment brighter. Each of her visits to Lake St. Joseph was an opportunity to reminisce about her youth and her many friendships. May these precious memories filled with tenderness and joy help ease your sorrow and bring you comfort during this difficult time. We will hold on to the memory of the wonderful person she was for a long time. Our thoughts are with you and the entire family
Johanne et André
Joan Drohan (always Mrs Drohan to me) was a wonderful friend to my parents, Pauline and Ed Webster. I will always remember her as a beautiful, friendly and very kind person who was always smiling. We had many happy times as families at Craigleith and at social functions – weddings, etc. I am grateful that she remained such a steadfast and caring friend to my parents in the past years. I know my mom and dad loved her very much! My deepest condolences to all the Drohan family. Sincerely, Jo-Anne Webster Wolfe