March 30, 2024

In loving memory ~

Comox, BC - Joan Dorothy Mousseau (nee Ryckman), 87, of Courtenay, BC, passed away on March 30, 2024. Born in May of 1936, in Thorold, Ontario, she was the daughter of Wesley and Bessie Ryckman, and sister to Ann, Joyce, Beverly, Nancy, Lynn, Donald and her twin sister, Jean.

At the age of 18, Joan began her lifelong love of the Royal Canadian Air Force where she met her future husband of 67 years, Maurice (Moe) Mousseau, at RCAF Station Edgar, and was posted to 1 Air Division Headquarters in Metz, France (NATO) in 1957. After the birth of her two sons, Joan retired from the Air Force to be a full-time mother and wife until her boys were teenagers at which time, she completed her high school diploma and went back to work for the Royal Canadian Navy Benevolent Fund in Ottawa. After her sons left home for school and employment, Joan and her husband eventually retired to Courtenay where she enjoyed mountain views and coastal breezes until her passing.

Joan was always an active athlete, swimming in her youth, softball as a young adult, and golf later in life, and she sometimes entertained friends and family with her juggling skills. As a military spouse, she travelled the world living in France (twice) and several places in Canada including Winnipeg, Comox Valley, Ottawa, and Shilo, before retiring back to the Comox Valley, the place from her past with the best weather and vistas. Thanks to the support and help of friends, most notably Brian and June Hemingway, Joan and Moe acquired their dream home on a hillside overlooking the Comox Valley, the Comox Glacier, and the Forbidden Plateau where they have lived for more than three decades. The snowcapped mountain views were a continuous source of pleasure throughout Joan's life.

Joan is survived by her husband of 67 years, Moe, her sister, Joyce (Ken), two sons, Tim and Christopher (Gerald), three grandchildren, Preston (Elizabeth), Bruce (Madeline) and Wesley (Alexis), and one great-grandchild, Blair.