Obituaries

In Loving Memory of our Grandma: Joan Molloy

With full hearts, we share the passing of our beloved G’ma, who left us on Nov.17. While our family grieves deeply, we also celebrate the extraordinary woman she was and the love she poured into each of us.

Born in Camperville, Manitoba in 1939, Grandma grew up surrounded by the love of her parents – Phyllis and Roger – and her four siblings Art, Kenny, Doreen, and Jeff. After settling in The Pas, their family built a life rooted in laughter and an unwavering connection Their mother, Phyllis, taught them early on that family was everything — a lesson Grandma carried faithfully throughout her life.

In 1983, she married her husband, Paul Molloy, and together they created a beautiful life together on McBey. At every wedding or social gathering, you could always find them on the dance floor moving together with the kind of joy that made everyone around them smile.

Grandma was the proud mother of five children — Dale, Kelly, Lisa, Mary-Jo, and Cara. Their bond was something people admired (and quite frankly – were jealous of!). Their family story wouldn’t be complete without talking about Dale. When he passed away at age 12, their family was changed forever. Grandma endured the grief of losing her first born son, and it reshaped their lives and their community, making their bond even stronger. That closeness was one of her greatest accomplishments.

She had 16 grandchildren, all of whom she loved with her whole heart — and we loved her just as fiercely back. What a wonderful childhood we all had. Every holiday spent together, the house overflowing with cousins, noise, and joy… and always, always love. When 24 great-grandchildren arrived, Jack and Van anointed her “G’ma,” a name that stuck and she loved.

Her greatest legacy was the family she nurtured. She described us as “perfect, caring, beautiful, generous, fun, funny, and the bestest grandchildren — I guess I did do great things in my life.”

Some of our most treasured memories were made at the cabin, where she spent countless summers with her grandchildren. Mornings meant pancakes — always — and bannock cooked over the campfire in the afternoon. She loved her “botatoes,” laughed easily, and had a sharp wit that could brighten any moment. Her presence was steady and reliable, the kind of love you could rest in. Garage sales, good bargains, and good stories were some of her simple joys – she was notorious for her Black Friday deals, not removing the price tags so that people could admire her great deal!

Grandma was deeply proud of her heritage and passed that pride on to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She lived a life marked by service. She spent more than 20 years as a social worker with Child and Family Services before becoming a counsellor at Kateri Church. Later, she worked with a national agency based out of Ottawa, providing services to reserve communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She had a natural way of making people feel seen, valued, and understood, which she carried into her work with residential school survivors, providing a forum for them to tell their stories. She finally retired at the age of 74 after decades of supporting and uplifting others – she didn’t want to miss a thing!

Her life was full — of love, of laughter, of family, of purpose. She leaves behind a legacy of closeness, joy, and generosity that will continue to guide us for the rest of our lives.

We are endlessly grateful for her. For her love, her stories, her warm presence, her humour, and her guiding strength. Though our hearts are heavy, we find comfort in knowing that she lives on in every holiday we share, every laugh we echo, every tradition we keep, and every act of kindness we offer to others.

Her love shaped us. Her legacy lives in us. And we will miss her, always.

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