Joan Louise Rebnord

“Perspective”
I am standing on the seashore. A ship spreads her sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. I stand watching her until she fades on the horizon, and someone at my side says, “She is gone!”. Gone where? The loss of sight is in ME, not in HER. Just at that moment when someone says, ‘She is gone’, there are others who are watching her coming. Other voices take up the glad shout, ‘Here she comes!’ “And that is dying” – source unknown.
It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to Sailor Joan. She passed away peacefully on February 17, 2024 at the age of 95.
Joan Louise Rebnord (McColl) was born in Edmonton, Alberta on April 15, 1928, to her parents, Marjorie, and Mac McColl. She had an older brother, Don, and a younger brother, Stuart. Both have pre-deceased her.

In her early twenties, Joan moved to Vancouver and one day decided to go to the docks with a friend to see if any of the merchant marine ships needed any help. One ship did need someone, but they were leaving the next day. Joan took the job and that is how she started her career as a Merchant Marine. She travelled to many ports such as Hong Kong, Japan, and Philippines often, and loved the travel and the life at sea. She often recounted this time as the best part of her life. During her married life she was for the most part a ‘stay at home mom’ but ventured out into the working world on occasion. She enjoyed immensely being the manager of Pocahontas Bungalows in Jasper for two years and worked for about 15 years for Below the Belt clothing store in their accounting department until she retired at 72 years of age. Once retired, she had gardening to keep her busy in the spring and summer but needed something to keep her mind busy during the winter, so she took to volunteering at CRA doing tax returns for those with limited means and ability to file the returns on their own. Every year she anxiously waited for ‘Tax Season’ so she could teach herself the new tax software, and the opportunity to meet and talk to an endless line of new and interesting people.

Joan’s husband, Arthur, was born and raised in Norway, and he too had joined the Merchant Marines, where they crossed paths and fell in love. They married in Vancouver and travelled to Hong Kong for their honeymoon, afterwards settling in Norway for a few years. They soon returned and settled in Canada ending up in Joan’s hometown of Edmonton, where they raised their four children, Siri, Lisa, Erik, and Fraser. Joan became a widow at the age of 55 in 1983 when Arthur passed away and remained on her own in the family home ever since, demonstrating the strong and independent person that she was.

Joan is survived by Siri (Bob), Lisa, Erik (Sandie), and Fraser (Lynn); grandchildren Carlin, Lexii (Zakry), Torey (A.J.), Brandon, and Cierra; and four great grandchildren, Aurora, Jayden, Ryder, and Ava.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
Sail on Sailor J.