Joan I. Tompkins

With gratitude for a life so richly lived and with the sadness that comes from the loss of our dearly loved mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend, we announce the passing of Joan Irene Tompkins, after a brief illness, on January 31st, 2022 at the age of 80 in Bath, New Brunswick.

Arriving into this world on December 3rd, 1941 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Joan was the first of six children born to Lucy Tompkins (nee Wagner) and Gerald Tompkins, who soon settled in Florenceville, New Brunswick next to the family homestead where Gerald was raised and which Joan acquired later in life.

Joan will be dearly missed by her brother Gary, sister-in-law Fern, brother Don, sister-in-law Carole, brother Tim, sister-in-law Ann, sister Judy, brother-in-law Brian, daughter Cara, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Valerie, and her three grandchildren, Connor, Jeanette and Anthony, as well as a host of nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand nephews and many friends.

Joan was a brilliant student who was valedictorian for her graduation from Florenceville Regional High School. She went on to study at the University of New Brunswick, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was a teacher for a short time in Hartland, New Brunswick.

She and the father of her children, Michael, raised their two children outside of Montreal in Chateauguay, Quebec. They also welcomed members of Michael’s family from Grenada to come to Canada and acquire an education, giving them an excellent foundation for their lives in Canada.

After a time at home while her children were young, Joan studied at John Abbott College to become a nurse and went on to work at the Douglas Hospital as well as at The McConnel Home in Cote St. Luc in Montreal for many years as a nurse who was very highly regarded.

Her latter years in Florenceville, New Brunswick were among her happiest. There, with her partner Tom Newell they enjoyed their senior years together, along with a couple of cats and the beautiful garden Joan built meticulously, summer after summer, which attracted visitors from all across the region. She and Tom enjoyed the business they ran out of their home and at local markets selling antiques and collectibles, as well as in selling pieces on eBay. They gained a reputation for being fair in their pricing and discriminating in finding unique and tasteful pieces.

Joan continued working as a nurse in seniors residences in the region, including Riverview Manor in Bath, where her father spent his final years. She was at her father’s bedside when he passed away—such a comfort to the entire family. Similarly, when her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Joan moved her into her home and tended to her for the last nine months of her life, offering her possibly the most exquisite palliative care anyone could ask for.

After retiring from work, Joan offered her services for several years as a lay reader for the Anglican diocese in her area, something she found to be profoundly meaningful and a source of great joy.
The knowledge that her soul has passed into a world where her burdens and afflictions have been lifted, and where she is reunited with her dear Tom and her loving parents Gerald and Lucy and her sister Nancy, who died in infancy, is a profound comfort during this hour of grief.

A funeral service will take place on Saturday July 2, 2022 at 11:00 am from the Church of the Good Shepherd, Main St. Florenceville. The Rev. Robert LeBlanc will officiate. Interment in the Church of the Good Shepherd Anglican Cemetery, Florenceville.