Joan C. Fitzsimmons Hilliard

1933 - 2022

Parma - Joan C Fitzsimmons Hilliard was the second of six children born to Glenn and Gladys Gillispie Fitzsimmons, on February 3, 1933, in Burdett, Kansas. The Fitzsimmons family left Kansas after the dust bowl years, settling in Fruitland, ID.

After graduating high school, Joan moved to Hollywood, living in an apartment at the corner of Hollywood + Vine. She rode a bus and streetcar to downtown LA for city college and worked at Fox West Coast Theater headquarters. She spent her weekends playing in the ocean and going to the movies. After 2 years in LA, she returned to Idaho and began working at the Boise Idaho Power corporate office. One weekend while attending a YWCA dance, a handsome young man in an Air Force uniform and a huge smile on his face, asked her to dance. Six months later, on Halloween 1953, Joan and Wade were married. Immediately after being wed, Joan and Wade moved to Washington D.C.

Missing Idaho, they returned 2 years later, living in Boise and Weiser, before moving to Parma in 1961 with their 3 children. Joan and Wade opened Parma Furniture in 1961, after selling Joan's beloved car to fund the venture. They spent years building a successful business, and never really retired. Joan handled the office and finances, and Wade was the buyer and salesman.

In Joan's spare time, she loved reading, sewing, gardening her flowers, maintaining her home and yard (by herself), crafting, skiing, playing cards, baking, BSU Football, and in her later years she enjoyed cross stitching beautiful pictures, some of which took years to complete. As the matriarch of her family, she also enjoyed throwing parties for all birthday and holiday gatherings. For over thirty years, she was a member of the Caldwell Ladies Golf Association and thoroughly enjoyed playing and traveling with the ladies. She would often reminisce of how much she loved her golfing and each and every lady. She was a dedicated long-time member of Kirkpatrick Memorial Community Church, serving as session, a trustee, and many terms as a deacon. Joan also cooked for the Lions Club for many years, making her famous mandarin chicken, pork fried rice and peach cobbler. She really enjoyed all her friends and church family. She was an amazing example of service and showed kindness to all those she encountered.

Joan was a world traveler. She traveled to several countries with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She enjoyed annual trips to the Oregon Coast and loved spending time in the mountains at her cabin in McCall. She spent years skiing the slopes at Brundage, with weekly visits from her friends, and taught her children and grandchildren how to ski.

Joan is survived by a loving family: children Susan, Penny, and Bo; grandchildren, Jody, Tiffany, Alexandria Hilliard, Billy (Nadine) Wagner, Sally (Matt) Frye, AJ (Darrell) DeFabry, and Brandon Brown; great-grandchildren, Max and Bryn Frye, Huxly Brown, Wade DeFabry, and Asher Wagner; sister Helen Dyer, and honorary son Ruben & Tanya Gaona; and countless nieces, nephews, and friends that held a special place in her heart.

Joan's memorial service will be held at Kirkpatrick Memorial Community Church at 302 N 3rd St, Parma, ID 83660, on Thursday, November 17th at 2:30 pm.

Matriarch, Mom, Grandma, Sister, witty best friend, you will be forever missed. We love you.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Kirkpatrick Memorial Community Church at P.O. box 789 Parma, ID 83360, or Parma Lions Club at P.O. Box 778, Parma, ID 83660.

Condolences may be shared with the family at www.dakanfuneralchapel.com