JOAN ESTELLE GOUGH

(née Pierdon) (March 2, 1932 – August 17, 2025) After 93 incredible years, Joan passed away peacefully, in Peterborough, Ontario, on August 17, 2025, with her smile gracing her face until the very end. Born in Noranda, Québec, Joan spent her early years playing with her late sister, Patricia Kitchings, in the small mining town before moving to Toronto with their mother, Marguerite Pierdon (née Demers), in the late 1930's. Attending high school at Jarvis Collegiate, Joan excelled at academics and followed in her father, James Pierdon's shoes, graduating with honours from the University of Toronto in Metallurgical Engineering in 1956. Joan's career began with Avro Canada, where she tested titanium for the Avro Arrow CF-105 aircraft. She later joined IBM in sales supporting the 305 Ramac, the first commercial computer with magnetic disk storage. She then went on to work with Traders Finance writing computer programs for payroll. Her longest employment before retirement was with the Ontario Board of Education maintaining the student record system for students across Ontario. Beyond her professional life, Joan lived a full life with her family, longtime friends from her Alpha Phi fraternity and many workplace connections she made over the years. Having a huge love of the outdoors, she enjoyed being close to nature on canoe trips in Algonquin Park, swimming, waterskiing, and boating at family cottages all over Southern Ontario. With a huge appreciation of music and the arts, she was a season ticket holder to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company and various theatres in the city. She enjoyed frequent visits to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, as well as museums and art galleries during her many travels abroad. She had a deep affection for all animals and always held a very special place in her heart for her beloved Irish Setter, Nikki. Joan is survived by her loving husband, Ronald; her children, Teresa and Jason; and daughter-in-law, Joy. She will be dearly missed by her niece, Kathy Alden and husband, Tom; sister, Virginia Francey and husband, Paul; brother, David and wife, Gale; nieces and nephews, Micheal, Andrew, Patrick (Alden), Spencer, Tyler, Brooke, Kyle (Francey), and Julia (Pierdon); and the Hendriks cousins, Martha, Sally, David and Don. Missed but never forgotten, we will always see you in calm lake waters you loved so much and in the glow of the fireflies lighting the forest on summer nights. Online condolences may be made at CommunityAlternative.ca.