(nee Burke) October 24, 1914 - April 7, 2002 Peacefully in Ottawa, Ontario, aged 87, surrounded by Susan, Simon, Heather and several grandchildren. Predeceased by her diplomat and author husband Graham (1912-1970). Survived by her loving children Michael, Susan Hill (Les), and Simon (Heather Maclachlan). "Mawmaw" was deeply treasured by her U.K. grandchildren Toby (Emma) and Ed (Natalie) Crick (and by their father Robert), and by her Canadian grandchildren Margaret, Clare, Christiane and Angus McInnes. Joan was thrilled to learn of the birth of her great-grandson Oscar Crick on March 16. Joan is also survived by her loving cousin June Jago (Melbourne, Vic), by her university friends Kate Smith (Perth, WA) and Lesley Lane (Melbourne), and by her beloved sister-in-law Kate Thirkell (London, England) and her children. Joan had many friends in Canada and around the world who will miss her dearly. Joan graduated from the University of Melbourne (where she met Graham) in 1935, and worked in children's programming for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She travelled to London, England in 1938 to marry Graham shortly after the Munich Crisis, then moved to Canada where she took up freelance broadcasting work with the CBC, and lovingly supported her husband's work as a journalist, art editor for Saturday Night, film producer for the National Film Board, and author, in Toronto until 1943, and then in Ottawa. In 1948, when Graham joined External Affairs, Joan served the role of a diplomat's spouse with flair, talent and enthusiasm, including overseas in India (1951-54), New Zealand (1954-55), the U.K. (1958-62), Jamaica (1963-65) (where she enjoyed raising funds for schools) and at UNESCO in Paris (1965-70). From September 1970, she lived in London to be near Susan and Robert's family, and Michael, where her activities included volunteering on housing estates. In 1979 she returned to Canada, living in Toronto, where she was active in volunteering at the Art Gallery of Ontario, in political campaigning, in maintaining close contact with her many Toronto friends, and in welcoming numerous visits from her grandchildren. Operations on both knees and arthritis did not stop her from enjoying her daily walks in High Park. She returned to Ottawa in December 2000 to be near Simon's family at Rideau Place where she made many friends. Joan was witty, well read, a talented conversationalist, a fine cook, a lover of the theatre and the arts, and faithful to the many friends she had met in her travels. As a mother, she set high but loving standards for her children, and was generous to a fault. As "Mawmaw", she was kind, supportive, and generous to her grandchildren. We will all miss her enormously. Joan was cremated in Wakefield, Quebec. In celebration of her life, Simon's family is welcoming close friends at a memorial reception at 4 Harvard Ave., Ottawa, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 14. Susan is holding a memorial reception in England on the same day for Joan's U.K. family and friends. The Ottawa Citizen, 13-04-2002