Joan FERGIN

1928 - 2022

Spokane - A lifetime resident of Spokane. Born November 2, 1928, at Deaconess Hospital, daughter of David C. and Gladys E. Guilbert and granddaughter of Frank Guilbert, who was instrumental in establishing Mount Spokane State Park and the highway system around Spokane. She attended Wilson Grade School and graduated from Lewis and Clark High School, where she was a member of Ti-Girls and Student Body President. She attended Washington State College (now WSU) where she met G. Stanley Fergin during a Pi Beta Phi/Sigma Nu Fireside exchange. She graduated from WSC in 1950 with a degree in Elementary Education. She and Stan were married on August 19, 1950, at the Cathedral of St. John by Bishop Cross. Jody taught second grade for two years at Loma Vista Grade School until her career was interrupted by family raising. Their son Greg was born in 1953 and their daughter Beth in 1955. They enjoyed camping at Priest Lake and caretaking a homestead property on Coeur d'Alene Lake for 13 years with their extended family of Dale and Marilyn Stedman and their children. They then bought and owned a cabin in the Luby Bay area at Priest Lake, in the "Thicket" property. They loved boating, huckleberry picking and eating, mushrooming, wood gathering, and cross-country skiing. She delighted in discovering wildflowers in the woods and different types of bird songs. A dedicated Girl Scout Leader, she led a troop from 4th grade through high school. Jody returned to teaching second grade, this time at Jefferson Grade School, from 1974 to 1991. She loved teaching and was dedicated to giving each child whatever it took to learn. When Greg joined the State Department Foreign Service and first served in Bangladesh, Jody and Stan joined Greg on an Orient Escapade tour, followed by subsequent visits during his posts in South Africa, Indonesia, Liberia, Russia, Canberra, and Sydney, Australia, and Singapore. She felt that travel was a way to expand her views of the world. Upon retirement from teaching, she trooped a Trunk Show from the Museum of Arts & Culture to many schools in the Spokane area. She was a volunteer for Pi Beta Phi, YWCA Board of Directors, Inland Empire Girl Scouts Board, Hutton Settlement Board, past president of the Junior League of Spokane, the first woman Board member of the AAA Inland Automobile Association, and School District 81 Volunteer Board. Her commitment to serving her community was a part of her expression of strong convictions with an openness to life-long learning. She is survived by her husband, Stan, after seventy-one years of marriage, children Greg and wife Judith in Falmouth, Maine, and Beth and partner Ian Cunningham in Spokane. She delighted in her grandchildren Kaleb in Salt Lake City, Will in Sydney, Australia, and Amalia in Seattle. A memorial service celebrating Jody's life will be held at The Cathedral of St. John on June 22 at 2:00 p.m., with a reception following at 3:30 p.m. at the Rockwood Event Center inside the main (East) gate off 25th Avenue. Memorials may be made to the Rockwood Residents' Foundation, Planned Parenthood, or any nonprofit organization that works with children of Spokane.