Obituary of Joan C. Stevenson

Joan Christie Stevenson lived a life that revolved around caring for others, a life that sadly came to an end after only 62 years. Joan passed away at home with family at her side after a six month battle with ovarian cancer. She was a beautiful person; brave, caring, intelligent, humorous and compassionate and is greatly missed by all who knew her. Joan’s immediate family includes her husband of nearly 37 years, Brian Clapson, her three children Andrew (Ottawa), Danny (Calgary) and Katie (Vancouver); mother Evelyn (Calgary); her sister Robin (Edmonton); nephews Scott (Edmonton) and Sean (Calgary); and her brother Robert (Vancouver). Joan’s father Doug passed before her, in 1991. Born in Edmonton, Joan lived in numerous cities around Canada and abroad due to her father’s career in the oil industry. These moves ranged from living in the Middle East (Brega, Libya) to small-town Alberta (Redwater), and gave her a very unique outlook on life. She attended the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, graduating in 1979, and met her future husband Brian during those medical school years. She then completed her internship in Calgary at the Holy Cross Hospital where she made several lifelong friends. She married Brian in 1980 and the couple moved to Saskatoon, where she completed her fellowship in anesthesiology in 1984. For the rest of her professional life Joan worked within the Saskatoon Health Region’s Department of Anesthesiology at Saskatoon City Hospital and the Labour and Delivery Unit at the Royal University Hospital. Joan took great pride in her family, which she and Brian raised together in Saskatoon with the loving support of their nanny of many years, Deirdre Halarewich (Australia). Joan loved gardening and spent many hours cultivating a lush yard and vegetable garden at her home in Lakeview. On a summer evening you could always find her enjoying an after-dinner coffee in her yard, surrounded by her family and with a dog snuggled in her lap. In addition to being a talented cook and gracious host, she had a penchant for travel which included annual travel adventures with the whole family. Celebrating occasions were important for Joan, with decorations going up early and coming down late. Guests had only to enter to house to know both what season it was and that they were welcome. Joan was a good friend and a wonderful listener. She knew intuitively what friendship was, whether it was helping friends overcome stress or celebrating milestones in their lives. Her relationship with colleagues was the same whether as a mentor, mentee, or friend - a good listener and dedicated supporter. As an anesthesiologist, Joan was noted for her caring and compassionate manner. She received many requests to look after the anesthetic needs of friends, colleagues and their family members. Joan readily did this and considered it a great compliment and privilege. She also undertook many different administrative positions in her field, including chairing committees with respect to physician behaviour. As was her hallmark, Joan brought a level-headed and practical approach to solving complex problems. The family would like to thank all her friends and relatives, the many colleagues, wonderful neighbours and all the treating physicians, nurses and health care workers, as well as the staff at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre. We also know that Joan would like to thank the many wonderful people who made her day-to-day activities so fulfilling.