Obituary of Beverly Joan MacDonald

Beverly ‘Joan’ MacDonald passed peacefully on February 26th surrounded by her loving family. Joan was predeceased by her parents Jean (Bain) and Alex MacDonald, and her nephew Tim
MacDonald. Mother to Barbara (Dave) Schaeffer, Grandmother to Peter, Faith (James) Gaston, Great Grandmother “Baba” to Jaxon and Joslyn Gaston. Sister of Jim (Linda) MacDonald, Eleanor
(Dan) Munroe, Randy MacDonald, Heather (Ben) Millar. Auntie to Lynette, Becky, Tammy, D.J, Donny, Ashley, Cameron, and Great Auntie to Aaron, Megan, Heather, Angus, Siana,
Violet, and Great Auntie to James, Brenna, Olive and Willow. Joan’s heart was forever touched by her friend Joe and their everlasting bond. They had a deep
connection that transcended time. Her family is so grateful for Joe and the time the two of them spent together. Joan was born in Woodstock, Ontario in 1942 and moved to Fort Erie when she was just a little girl. Fort Erie was where she grew up, and was the place she called home.

Joan lived her life as a beacon of light willing to share her warmth with every soul she met. It was when Joan became a mother to her baby girl, Barbara in 1969 that she knew what love truly
was. Joan was a single mother and raised her daughter to be strong, independent, and to always know her worth. The bond between the two of them was something to be admired. When Joan
became a grandmother in 1990 her heart grew to make room for all the love she had for her grandson, Peter, and then again in 1996 when her granddaughter, Faith, was born. Just when we
thought Joan’s love couldn’t grow any deeper, she became a great grandmother to Faith and James’ twins, Jaxon and Joslyn, in 2020. She was an amazing woman who managed to love and take time for her family, and friends, and also give her time to enrich our community. Joan and her four siblings remained close, a bond that nothing could break. Her brothers and sisters have been her rock-solid foundation that no amount of storms could rupture. Joan was actively present in the lives of her grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and bonus family and spent as much time with them as she possibly could. This meant taking them skating, sledding, to the beach, on vacations, or out for an ice cream cone or hotdog. Albeit loving all her family members, Joan adored her great
grandkids fiercely. She did her best to be present in their lives despite her health struggles over the last few years. She managed to plan tea parties and outings to get a hot chocolate with the
twins at A&W and watching them play at the park. The memories made with her family are countless and they are grateful to be able to hold them close to their hearts forever. In her youth, Joan was an athlete playing every sport she could, though her two favorites were baseball and swimming. Her passion for baseball is what sparked her interest in coaching. Joan coached several minor girls’ baseball teams over the years and found such joy in working with children. Her baseball teams would have a big party at the end of the season, which meant her house was happily littered with sleeping bags and pillows. If a team member had a sibling, you can bet Joan would tell them to bring them to the party. Joan was also the Fort Erie Cannon’s biggest fan, never missing a game (unless health prevented). The boys on the team equally loved “Auntie Joan” and they always made her feel so special. Thank you, boys, from the bottom of our hearts for giving her such joy.

On Sundays Joan could be found at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort Erie, as the Sunday school teacher. Joan valued her belief in God so much she drove around town to pick up any kids who
didn’t have a ride to church. After Joan’s retirement from Fleet, she became the lunch monitor at John Brant Public School (formerly Ridgeway Public School) where she worked for many years.
She felt such tremendous happiness in watching her school kids grow, and she remained in contact with many of them even long after they graduated. A typical day walking down Ridge
Road with Joan, she would pass by multiple “kids” she knew who always excitedly greeted her as Auntie Joan, Gram, Coach or Miss MacDonald and they all gave her big hugs. She made
complete strangers feel like a part of the family instantly. She would never hesitate to make a place at the table for someone and would always ensure they had a full belly and a place to sleep.
She was well known in her community whether she was running a Gate collection at Fleet, playing as Mrs. Claus at the Stevensville Conservation Club, canvassing for MS, United Way, or
anonymously sponsoring a kid in sports, Joan gave her time and love to help her community. She cherished her time volunteering with Community Living Fort Erie, in the swimming and bowling
programs. There was no limit to her compassion for others in need. Whether at sports, church, school or in the community, Joan made friends everywhere she went. She cherished the
friendships she made at Fleet, The Beachcombers in Ridgeway, the Fort Erie Legion, the Ridgeway Legion, Fort Erie Conservation Club, Fleet Museum and any friends from the
baseball games she attended. Joan loved planning gatherings for her friends to get together, such as her annual Fleet luncheon, and ladies dinner.
Joan was an angel on earth who made her purpose in life to give love to others. Of all the donations you could think of, Joan would tell you that the most valuable donation you can make
is giving your time. Donating your time has no monetary value in comparison to the value that is received by others. You will never be able to put a price tag on the value of your generosity.
If you are looking to donate in honor of Joan, please feel free to make a donation to: Mom to Mom Box (Joan’s granddaughter Faith and great niece Megan’s local outreach program helping
families in need) or to the Fort Erie Conservation Club. On behalf of Joan, donations to Trinity Lutheran Church and Mom Box (instructions as follows - In the "use for Donation" menu, please choose "Special Projects" and when you're able to add a comment, leave the comment "Mom Box".) would be greatly appreciated by her family.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1pm to 4pm on May 4th 2025 at the Fort Erie Conservation Club.