Joanne Taylor

Muriel Joanne Taylor (Gilchrist), known to her friends and family as Joanne and Auntie Jo, passed away peacefully with family at her side on June 13, 2021 in Victoria, BC, after a long battle with multiple myeloma. Joanne was an international traveller, a published writer, a lifelong political and social activist, a gifted artist and dedicated to family. Her wide-ranging creative talents, love of adventure and community involvement continued to provide her with positive sources of energy, happiness and satisfaction.
Joanne grew up in Alberta on the Deer Creek Ranch, took most of her schooling in Milk River but graduated from high school in Warner. She worked in advertising in Calgary and Vancouver after completing a B.A. in Psychology and Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan in 1958 and a Diploma in Business Administration in 1960. Travelling and working in Europe and the Middle East in the 1960s, Joanne was an usher at Covent Garden Opera, a puppeteer, a barmaid, a shop girl, and a Paris au pair. She returned to Alberta and, in 1977, began teaching Life Skills and Special Needs classes at the Medicine Hat College, where she met Dan, whom she married in 1978. She later became a social worker with the Alberta Government and later a very active volunteer for Medalta. In 2002 she and Dan moved to Deer Field Farm on Vancouver Island, where she grew squash for local restaurants and continued creating art. Following Dan's death in 2004, Joanne moved to Sidney, BC where she continued her creative arts and volunteerism, most recently for the Green Party of Canada. Joanne is survived by her brothers and their families, Tom (Lois) Gilchrist and Glen (Peggy) Gilchrist, as well as the children of her blended family: Kristen Needham and Jeff (Sandra) Needham, Daniel (Jane) Taylor, Shari Featherstone, Terri Taylor, Susan (Gary) Rodgers, Rod (Amy) Taylor. She has 15 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren and was predeceased by her husband of 26 years, Daniel Gregory Taylor. Donations in Joanne's name are welcome and should be directed to the BC Cancer Foundation (https://bccancerfoundation.com/ ) A celebration of life will be held in Victoria later this year once travel and gathering restrictions are eased.