It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Joan Smyton passed away at Hillcrest Village on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 in her 93rd year. Joan emigrated from Portadown, Northern Ireland to Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her husband, Robert, in 1950 and, while Canada was her home, Ireland was always in her heart. In recent years, she spoke lovingly and often of her mummy (especially), her dad, and her siblings in Ireland. Family was everything to Joan, and we were truly blessed to have had her in our lives for so long. She was the best mum and nana in the world! She lived the majority of her life in the family home, which she loved in Erindale Woodlands in Mississauga, and she enjoyed working for many years at the Credit Valley Golf & Country Club where she made life-long friends with colleagues and members who adored their “Joannie”. She is survived by, and will be forever deeply missed by, her daughter and best friend, Colleen (& Tory), her one and only grandson (and pride and joy!!), Robert (& Caitlin), who adored his nana, her beloved sister, Gwen, and her cherished niece and nephews, Sandy, Jim (& Barb), and Collin. She will also be lovingly remembered by other nieces in the UK. She is predeceased by her husband and the love of her life, Robert, her beloved son, Paul (who took such good care of her), her mum and dad, Sarah and Herbert Atkinson, and her siblings, Mona, Sattie, Greta, Billy and Herbie. We extend heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Hillcrest Village in Midland for the warmth and kindness extended to her, and for the wonderful care that she received there. We also thank Right at Home (Georgian Triangle) and, in particular, Joan’s caregivers May Schell and Jo-Ann Kirkland. Words cannot adequately convey how much we will miss Joan, but we will be forever comforted by our many wonderful memories of her, and will always remember her lovely smile and her beautiful Irish eyes. Quoting the lyrics to her favourite song
“When Irish eyes are smiling/Sure ‘tis like the morn in spring/In the lilt of Irish laughter/You can hear the angels sing/When Irish hearts are happy all the world seems bright and gay/but when Irish eyes are smiling sure they’ll steal your heart away…”
We find solace in the belief that Joan is at peace now, is reunited with loved ones, and is on a new journey where her Irish eyes are smiling again. During her time with us here, without a doubt, she definitely did steal our hearts away!
A dear friend shared the poem below to bring comfort. The words are so true, our darling Joan, “I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)” .
[I carry your heart with me (I carry it in)]
By E.E. Cummings
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
By only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
And it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
And whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)
Cremation has taken place. There will be a private family celebration of Joan’s life at a later date.
Donations to the charity of your choice in memory of Joan are welcome.
