With great love and fond remembrance, the family of Ella Joan Lockwood (nee Gray) announces her passing on Friday, December 5th, 2025, at Hogarth Riverview Manor in Thunder Bay. She would have been 97 this coming April.
Ella was predeceased by Harold, her loving husband of over 60 years in 2019, her parents,
Bill and Eunice Gray, and her younger sister Norma.
Joanie was the proud mother of her boys, Sandy (Mary), Stewart (Kim), and Kirk, and
her grandchildren Christopher (Ghiesel) and Carolann Lockwood.
Joanie also leaves behind brother-in-law Bob Bresden, niece Kim Besden (Darryl), nephews Scott Hagarty (Patti) and Roger Bresden (Cindy), as well as relations, the Arthurs, the Pounsfords, Val Zeleny and her family, Lindsey Poulter, and Kelly Gruen.
Known as Joanie to most, and a lively spirit to all, she lived her life with unmistakable vim and vigour—some might say with “p*** and vinegar.” Much of that long life was spent at Loon Lake. No place on earth meant more to her than the cottage her father built with his own hands at West Loon Lake in 1929, the year she was born. Sunset Lodge was her home ground, her refuge, her favorite place to be.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to close friends Rob Cameron and Katie Heikkinen, Al and Marilyn Chisholm, Isabel Chruz, Ken and Heather White, and of course, life-long friends Dorothy and Jerry Kirk, their nephew, Dr. Allan Kirk, and all their extended family for their constant love and support. We also remember with warmth the long-time family friends near and far, including the Mackays on the Isle of Harris, Scotland, The Fulfords, Stitts, Maleys, Mahons, Trushes, and many more whose lives intertwined with hers.
Her North-Side walking and breakfast companions were a weekly joy and treasure right to the end of her days. For over three decades, Joanie and Harp were snowbirds, and spent their winters in the sunshine of Mesa, Arizona, where they built a community of treasured friends at Mesa Regal Park.
Joan loved to travel. From going around Europe with Kirk in her 50’s, to practicing Tai Chi in China, to standing at the edge of Victoria Falls, she would travel anywhere, with anyone, at the drop of a hat, invited or not. A force of nature well into her 90s, Joanie was never one to sit still. Few can claim to be still riding a bike at 93, get knocked over by a golf cart, and still “tuck and roll” their way out of trouble. Just last summer, she was still convinced she could teach swimming to the kids at Silver Islet. Over the years, the family received no shortage of unforgettable calls from friends: reports of Joanie hitchhiking 50 km to town for breakfast; kayaking back alone and in the dark for 2 km from East Loon; or just walking the roads at Loon at night with nothing but a tiny flashlight—then popping in on friends for a glass of wine, ready to pass along a bit of unsolicited but well-meant advice.
The family wishes to express special gratitude to the staff at Hogarth Riverview Manor – 6 North Rose, for their patience, kindness, and—on some days—tolerance and grace. Always a loyal friend, she was a true Loon Lake historian, an energized walker, and a candid counsellor. The road there will now be quieter: missing her chatter, her curiosity, her memories, and the spark she brought to everyone’s day. As per her wishes cremation has taken place and the family will have a
Celebration of Life later this summer, at the family camp she so loved. On-line condolences may be made at www.sargentandson.com.
