LONDON, Joan McLaughlin McPherson (nee Kennie)
August 19th, 1921 – August 29th, 2020
On August 29th, 2020, in her 100th year, with her children by her side, Joan slipped quietly away. Dear wife of the late Woodrow Parker London; beloved mother of Susan (John McNab), John (Adrienne), and Anne (Bill Schmitt); adored grandmother of Andrew (Emily), Lauren (Bruce), Shane (Carolyn), John Murray (Lisa) and Darrelle (Richard); loved great-grandmother of Claire, Hayleigh, A.J., Jasper, Thomas, Lily, Miles and Elliot; dear friend of the late Lorne Biggs.Joan was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to Canada with her family when she was 5, and lived the rest of her life in Niagara Falls. She attended Loretto Academy and Stamford CI, becoming a star basketball player with Stamford’s senior girls’ team. As an adult, Joan played badminton for many years at The Niagara Falls Badminton Club, enjoyed golf, and swam at the Boys and Girls Club.Joan became the first female teller in Niagara Falls, working for the CIBC at Main and Ferry in the early 1940s. She was later recruited to work in accounting at H.G. Acres & Co., where she met Woodrow London who would become her husband in 1948.
Joan was a lifelong volunteer. She organized dances for the troops stationed in Niagara Falls during WWII. For 16 years, she was a member of the Junior Hospital Auxillary of GNGH, serving for 2 years as Treasurer. She organized the annual Charity Ball, established the Candy Striper program at GNGH, and was the first Chairman of Volunteer Services. Joan went on to become provincial Treasurer and Chairman of Finance of the Ontario Hospital Auxiliary. Joan and Irene Ellis were founding members of the Social Planning Council of Niagara Falls, later known as Information Niagara.Joan served on the Board of Directors for a number of organizations, including the Hospital Auxiliary of Ontario, Kawagama Lake Cottagers’ Association—Land Use and Taxation, Niagara Child Development Centre, and the Social Planning Council of Niagara Falls. Joan’s greatest source of joy and pride was her family. She was the lynch pin of the clan, her family’s reference point, an unfailingly loving, honest and supportive mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She and Woodrow built a family cottage on Kawagama Lake that Joan was so pleased to know has become a gathering place for now four generations of her family.
Joan’s family would like to extend their grateful thanks and deepest appreciation to Dr. Joanna Hill, and to the kind, caring and dedicated nurses, PSWs and staff at Queenston Place Retirement Residence for their attentive, thoughtful and compassionate care of Joan over the past nearly 6 years. Queenston Place had truly become her home, and all of you, her dear friends.Due to the current pandemic, there will be no public visitation or service at this time. A small private service for direct family is planned.In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a donation in Joan’s name, please consider Moorelands Camp (Moorelands Kids Children’s Charity) or The Hospital Auxiliary of the Greater Niagara General Hospital. Both of these wonderful organizations were very close to Joan’s heart.
Memories, photos and condolences may be shared at www.morseandson.com