Hazel Joan Case, known to most simply as Joan, Auntie Joan, Mom, Grandma, or GG, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the age of 90.

Joan was born Hazel Joan Howe to Henry and Violet Howe on October 11, 1935, on Riverside Farm near Warman, Saskatchewan. As a 10-year-old, she moved with her mother, brother, and stepfather to Kimberley, British Columbia. There, she grew up, attended school, and later met the love of her life, William "Bill" Case. Joan and Bill married in June 1957 and soon began a life of adventure together, moving north to United Keno Hill Mines in the Yukon. All four of their children were born during their years in the Yukon, a place Joan remembered with great affection.

In 1964, the family relocated to Giant Mine in Yellowknife, where Joan was very active in the community and made many lifelong friends. After brief periods in Manibridge, Manitoba, and Elsa, Yukon, in the early '70s, Joan, Bill, and their children returned to Yellowknife in 1974, the community that truly became home. It was in Yellowknife that Joan developed her lifelong passion for gardening, flowers, sewing, and quilting.

Joan worked as the secretary for many years at J.H. Sissons School, where she became "Mrs. Case" to a generation of Yellowknifers. She took great pride in her work and cherished the friendships and memories made there.

In 1988, Joan and Bill retired to Grande Prairie, Alberta. They took advantage of this new free time, making several trips to Europe and one to Australia. Retirement opened a new chapter for Joan, and one of her most meaningful projects was researching her family's lineage. Through determined and thorough investigation, she discovered that her father had been born Henry David (Harry) Banister and her mother had been Violet Ethel Ashley-Pryce, and that she had an extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins across Canada, connections she treasured deeply.

Joan was very proud of her independence and good health. Daily outside walks, summer and winter, were part of her routine. She lived by herself in her own home until her passing.

Joan was predeceased by her beloved husband, Bill; her brothers Dave, Bill, Michael, and Chesley; and her half-sister, Shirley.

She is survived by her brothers John and Irwin; her sister, Marlene; and her half-sisters Hazel and Anne; and sisters-in-law Betty and Barb; her children Norm (Anna), Ray (Cheryl), Lorna (Dwain), and Sam; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren, all of whom brought her immense joy.

Joan will be remembered for her warmth, her resilience, her curiosity, and her deep devotion to family. Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched across the North and beyond.

As per Joan's wishes, no memorial service will be held. Family and friends will gather at a later date to celebrate her amazing life and to inter Joan with Bill.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Joan's favourite charity, Doctors Without Borders Canada (https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/ways-to-give/), or a charity of your choice.