Obituary of Lillas Thorsteinson

LILLAS JOAN (HERBERT) THORSTEINSON November 17, 1933 - May 3, 2016 A loving and loyal wife, a caring and firm mother, a dedicated and professional nurse. Joan passed away quietly at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on May 3, 2016. She will be sorely missed by her husband Bill, her two sons Eric (Rick) and Stephen, her daughter-in-law Sharon and her grandchildren Adam and Mara. Joan was born and raised in Ottawa, the daughter of Thomas and Gertrude Herbert. She was predeceased by her brother John Herbert and sister Dianne Jones. Growing up in Ottawa, Joan attended Lisgar Collegiate, where she was captain and star of the Girls' Basketball team and President of the Girls' Athletic Association. She went into nursing at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, Class '56B. Following graduation, she studied Public Health at Queen's University. In 1957, Joan married Bill Thorsteinson and they moved to Montreal where she worked as a nurse for the VON. They later moved to Brantford, and both her sons were born there. She continued nursing, serving as the nurse at YM/YWCA Camp Ruddy. The family moved to Toronto in 1961. Joan was Camp Nurse for a number of years at the Toronto Y's Camp Wangoma. She also worked part-time at the Scarborough General Hospital. Following these assignments she was a nurse at the private hospital at One Medical Place. She completed her nursing career at Central Park Lodge in Thorncliffe Park. Her greatest love was reading and she was a regular at the Don Mills Library. Bill and Joan bought their first and only house on Moccasin Trail in Don Mills and lived there for 49 years. She loved her house and garden, and especially their beagle Tippy, who was her constant companion for 16 years. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES - NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) on Sunday, May 8th from 12:00 p.m. until the time of service at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com.