Joan Daryl Meeker (Brackett)

Obituary

With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Joan Meeker, who was born on August 18th, 1934 and pass away on June 3, 2026 in Toronto.  Joan was dearly loved by her children Mike, Shari, Dan and Tracy, her in-laws Sharon, Mark, Brenda and Pam, her grandchildren and spouses Zac, Terri, Adam, Deborah, Seth, Riley, Shane, Krista, Hannah, Jack, Isaac, Emmett, Tess and her great grandchildren Nate, Ty, Lizzie, Yaya, Norah, Hannah and Finn. She will be dearly missed by her sister Sharon and her many nieces and nephews.

Joan was born in Schenectady, New York to Clara Brackett (Cotton) and Ralph Brackett.  She spent her entire childhood the same home on Belmont Avenue.   Her brother Bud and sister Sharon were 5 and 6 years younger, so as being the older sister she spent a lot of her childhood caring for them.  Growing up as a family they spent many wonderful summers by the lake enjoying family and friends.

Joan was a very talented musician.  She played in her high school symphony, eventually leading to a full 4 year scholarship to the Crane Department of music at the State teachers College in Potsdam, NY.  Joan continued her music throughout her years at Potsdam College and beyond when she played in the Kingston symphony orchestra for many years.  she also moved on to playing in several bands in her adult life, playing bass and lead singing for many events, weddings, and festivals.

It was at college where she met her husband Tom Meeker who was on a hockey scholarship at Clarkson from Canada.  After they graduated, they married and moved to Canada in 1957.  Their first Canadian home was in Kingston, ON where Mike and Shari were born followed by a move to Montreal where Dan and Tracy were born.  Joan would then go on to live in many more places including Belleville, Toronto, Ottawa, Manitoulin and eventually back to Toronto.  

When her children became school age, she started teaching and worked 35 years.  she started in music classes but spent most of her teaching career working with special needs students..  Joan loved planning special events and outings to enrich the lives of all her kids and it was no surprise that she was adored by both parents and students alike.

Joan retired in June of 1995 and joined her oldest son Mike and family on Manitoulin Island.  She built a home and enjoyed a few years there before health issues required her to split her time between Ottawa and Toronto.  Finally she moved in with her daughter Shari's family in Toronto where she remained until her passing.  

Joan accomplished much in her life and made an impact on all those she encountered along the way, but one thing that made her the happiest was the cottage she had built on the land she bought along Black River in Tweed.  The cottage would go on to create the most cherished family memories over the next 60 years.  At her celebration of Life, Joan was laid to rest there in a beautiful tree that was planted on the river's edge, overlooking the water, where she loved to sit in her swing chair on the porch watching over and admiring her family which she loved so deeply.

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Mom kept this folded in her wallet for many years.  She thought about it often and hoped that she could say she was proud of her "dash".   I can assure you mom that you can be very proud of how you "spent your dash".   

The Dash
by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

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Memory wall

August 16, 2026

Pinned

Mom was an incredible human being. She was a loving and caring daughter, sister, Mom, Nana, Great Nana and friend to so many. I don't know how I would have got through life without her by my side. She was there through the good and difficult parts of my life. Whenever I was struggling, sad, depressed I had only to call her and she had this way of making everything okay. Nothing was more important to her than her family and she worked incredibly hard her entire adult life to do whatever she could to make her kids lives better. Her devotion to her family continued on with her grandkids and great grandkids. Thanks to her we have an incredible extended family who are so close to each other. We joked that mom could be a little impulsive but it is thanks to this impulsivity that we have our cottage on Black River. For the past 60 years it has been the place we all gather as a family making so many happy memories. Mom lived many different places throughout her life but the cottage was her home, her happy place for two thirds of her life. I have learned much from my mom but what I treasure the most is that there is nothing more important in life than family and good friends. I love you mom and have been the luckiest person to have had you in my life for so many years. I am struggling mom the house is lonely without you! Miss you Mama and love you so much.

Shari Meeker

August 16, 2026

Joanie, Nana, Goosey, my favourite old bird, 91 extraordinary years. I was only in a third of your life, but my life has not known a time without you in it, and every day without you just doesn't feel right. There is no way to summarize your life story, or the impact vou had on this world. How lucky I am to have been raised by your incredible daughter, and you. You were there for it all, sitting on the porch watching us play on the street as kids, dragging us to garage sales where you bought us everything we wanted and more, our Harry Potter marathons every Christmas, running out to the ice cream truck to get you an ice cream sundae, you giving us the finger when we didn't side with you on a silly argument, singing us lullabies and listening to your recordings from your days in the band, every Sunday brunch, every graduation, every birthday, every Easter, every Christmas, every damn day you were there with us. You created an incredible familv. and our little piece of it won't ever be the same without you here. Thank you for all your love and laughs, I am grateful for every second I got to have you.

Hannah Duncan

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Joan Meeker (Brackett)

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