JOAN ALICE MANWARING

January 14, 1954 - September 24, 2024 Joan Alice Manwaring of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, passed away in hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, surrounded by her family on September 24, 2024, after a tragic accident while on a cycling trip with her husband, two sons, and friends. Full of love for life, family and friends, she was in Switzerland in great health, exploring the world, cycling in beautiful countryside on an adventure with those she loved. Joan is survived by her husband and soulmate, Dr. Robert G. Jones; her children, Sarah Manwaring Everett (Scott Everett, Squamish, BC), Glyn Manwaring-Jones (Victoria, BC), Tessa van Amerongen (Will van Amerongen, New York, NY), and Austin Manwaring-Jones (Paris, France); her grandchildren, Kai and Jude Manwaring Everett, and Nell and Clara van Amerongen; her siblings, John, Margaret (Robert Sévigny), and Susan Manwaring (Barry Chisholm); her special family, Jori Bartlett and her son, Grae Sagness; her nephew, Danny Sévigny; and her nieces, Liz Allen, Vanessa Mackeil, and Katherine Manwaring (Winnipeg, MB), and their children, Samantha Allen, Michael Allen, Amelia Mackeil, and January Mackeil; as well as the Jones family, her cousins and her many friends. She was predeceased by her parents, Arthur Manwaring and Eileen Manwaring (née Lyng); her brother, Robert James Manwaring; and her first grandson, Finn Robert Everett. Joan lived life as fully as possible, aware of the beauty and tragedy of human existence. She was the only athlete out of five siblings and discovered her love for competing when she joined the Leaside synchronized swimming team, which competed provincially and nationally, winning several provincial awards and a junior national championship. She met Rob when she was working for Sport Ontario and was lifeguarding at the pool where Rob was working as a pool boy. They fell in love and married. Joan coached synchronized swimming until she and Rob decided it was time to start a family. Starting in 1979, their family grew over time to include four beautiful, intelligent, talented and independent children. Joan loved her children fiercely and unconditionally. She wanted them to find their own path in life and always supported their choices. Along with Rob, she opened their eyes to art and music through lessons from a young age. She instilled in her family an appreciation for fine cooked meals, often served at large family gatherings beside the lake. She guided them towards a lifelong love of wilderness by sending them to camp in Algonquin Park every summer. Most importantly, she was by their side through all of life's challenges and was immensely proud of the adults they have become. Joan, AKA Jamma, also found immense delight in her grandchildren. She was devoted to them and totally involved in their lives. She celebrated every one of their accomplishments and loved being a grandmother, spending as much time as possible with them whether in Oakville, Squamish, NYC, Florida, beside Lake Joseph, or on an island in Georgian Bay. Joan was active all her life. She swam, played tennis, golfed, cycled, skied, hiked and was up for any adventure. She loved gardening and prized the flowers and vegetables that grew in her yard overlooking Lake Ontario. She loved to travel and was just as happy in a youth hostel in Spain with her sons as she was in a castle in Ireland. She was looking forward to visiting Australia in 2025 with Rob. She loved music and art; she was especially delighted by the creative works of her children. She was always up for visiting galleries and museums and attending concerts whenever possible. Her life was tragically cut short before she had the chance to do all the things she and Rob were planning to do in their retirement. The Manwaring-Jones family would like to thank the staff at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois for the compassionate care they provided to Joan, Rob and their children after the accident. In keeping with Joan's wholly selfless life, her final gift was to donate her organs so that her death might prolong the lives of others. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the FRE Fund in support of Paediatric Palliative Care at the Sick Kids Foundation at: gofundraise.sickkidsfoundation.com/goto/FREfund. There will be a private celebration of Joan's life at some time over the next few months. For information, please contact inmemoryofjoanmanwaring@gmail.com. There are days when the tears will come endless and without warning. The ocean inside of you violent and impossible to soothe. Sway with the waves; allow the surge to spill down your cheeks. Storms are to be weathered not subdued. - L.E. Bowman