Catherine J. COIRIN

YORKTOWN - Catherine Joan Coirin, after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009 (Thanksgiving Day), at home with her family by her side.
While the cancer sometimes weakened her physically, her love of living and her spirit remained strong. She showed us how to live fully and courageously with difficult treatments and an unknown future. She will hold a sacred place in the hearts of those who knew her.
Joan was born Dec. 19, 1955 in Whittier, Calif., to James and Norma Fulbright, where she lived until the age of 10. The family then ventured to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., as one of the towns early residents, where she graduated from high school and then attended Arizona State University. She returned to California and married in 1979, raising two daughters (Amber and Jamie Curran). In 1986, she and the girls relocated to Sierra Vista, Ariz., where she met Michael and married in May 1988. Michael's job lead the family first to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where her third daughter, Courtney Coirin was born in 1992, and then on to Yorktown.
Joan had many loves and interests including family, traveling, cooking, gardening, birding, music and holidays. She was an active mom, deeply involved with her children and their interests and education. Her first grandchild (Mykah Renee Lassiter) was born in 2006 and she devoted long and loving hours to her care. Having grown up on the Colorado River in Arizona, she had a love for the Southwest and had planned to someday return there permanently. In the last two years, she became an avid kayaker, and she and Michael enjoyed many local paddles.
She was preceded in death by her father, James Fulbright.
She is survived by her husband, Michael Coirin; mother, Norma Fulbright; daughters, Amber Curran, Jamie Curran, and Courtney Coirin; brothers, Michael, Robert, and John Fulbright (her twin brother); and grandchild, Mykah Lassiter.
The family would like to acknowledge Joan's medical and hospice team which provided exceptional care including, Dr. Scott Kruger; N.P. Kim Heath and her nurses, Denise Stanfield, Vicky White, Rebecca Ferrell, Jackie Foster, Lisa Fragala, and Linda Johnson; and hospice volunteer, Tish Walker. You made a difficult journey bearable with your professional skills and compassion.
A celebration of Joan's life will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at the Yorktown Freight Shed.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made in honor of Joan to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, 800-873-6983, www.stjude.org/tribute
Cremation Society of Virginia, Hampton Roads office, is assisting the family. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.