Obituary of Joan Crossley

JOAN CROSSLEY
(1927 - 2023)
Joan Crossley (Dorothy Joan Bain) of Ridgetown passed away on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, having just celebrated her 96th birthday in April. Born in Toronto in 1927 to the late Douglas and Margaret Bain, older sister to Harold (Whiz) Bain. Beloved wife to the late John Lachlan Crossley (2016) for 56 years and loving mother to Steven Crossley (Barbara) and Meg Crossley, she was also a proud grandmother to Greg, Michael, and Scott. Raised in Toronto until her teens, Joan graduated early from Northern Collegiate and received acceptance to the Ontario College of Art (now OCAD). She was interested in becoming an illustrator. Her family had an opportunity here however and started a business in Ridgetown while she initially stayed behind, boarding with family friends in Toronto to attend college. She joined her parents and brother Doug soon after as she felt she was too young to be on her own and only months later Joan enrolled for extra credits at Ridgetown District High School. Upon graduation she became the long-time secretary, first for Doc Edwards and then Bruce Foster at the school. It was here she met another recent transplant from Toronto, John Crossley, who had come to teach at RDHS in1957. They married at Church of the Advent in 1960. Joan’s interests and creativity moved from drawing to interior decor. She and John loved their home, decorating, antiquing, and taking road trips in general. On one adventure, and while in their seventies, they visited the famously huge Brimfield Mass Antique show and drove home with a 6-foot-long wooden bench strapped to the roof of the car.

Joan loved country drives that included “a nice lunch.” The drive was better if followed by a play at one of the region’s live theatre venues, which was a much-enjoyed bonus. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of The Village on the Ridge for their kind and compassionate care while she lived there. We offer profound thanks to Marcy Switzer who helped to care for mom in her final years. Mom came to look on Marcy as one of the family.

Cremation has taken place and a private family internment will happen later. In lieu of flowers we ask that  donations be made to Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

McKinlay Funeral Home, 76 Main Street East, Ridgetown, 519-674-3141