It is with immeasurable sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved mother, Joan Marie Krisko, aged 77 years of Thunder Bay, on July 20, 2025.
Joan was a lifetime resident of the city of Thunder Bay. She graduated from Fort William Collegiate Institute and began her career with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, teaching JK for decades before making the switch to teach music to middle schoolers. Joan dedicated her life to her love of music and the church. She was a gifted and devoted pianist at many churches, including St. Andrew’s RC church, where she played the piano and led the choir since 1997. There was nothing she enjoyed doing more than playing at a Mass, wedding, or funeral and joining others in song. She was instrumental in keeping the Interlink Choir, a group of seniors singing with youth, alive in Thunder Bay. She was a woman of deep faith and remarkable talent.
Joan immersed herself in volunteerism throughout the City. She served in many capacities as a member of the Catholic Women’s League and Fort William Rotary Club, and volunteered with the Children’s Aid Society. She has been recognized for her work, receiving several awards and accolades for her contributions and dedication to service.
Joan had a nurturing heart that extended to all creatures, great and small. Whether it was bringing home a new family pet from the JK classroom, feeding birds in the yard, or adopting cats, Joan’s gentler side saw animals as a reflection of God’s creation and treated them with tenderness and love, but her competitive side was seen in a card or board game; beating mom in a Scrabble game was a mission we accepted, but rarely achieved.
To her family, Joan was the heart and soul of home. She was a loving and proud mother whose wisdom, selflessness, and guidance shaped our lives, and we will treasure those memories forever. She is survived by her daughters, Katherine (Patrick), Joanna, Karen, and Cheryl (Danny); and her precious grandchildren, Jonathan, Amelia, Sophia, Victoria, Ethan, Charlotte, Jake, and Ryan, who will carry forward her legacy of love, service, and song. She is also survived by her brother Roderick Kapitan and her former husband, Lorne Krisko.
Joan was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Amelia Kapitan, grandparents Julia and Michael Mikulasik and Maria and Stephan Kapitan; her “sis” Sophia Roy, and longtime friend Ray Belanger.
The funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025, at St. Andrew’s RC Church, at 10:00 am and presided by Rev. Larry Kurec. A private family interment will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Andrew’s RC Church or Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board Awards Trust Fund will be appreciated.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Everest Funeral Chapel, 299 Waverley Street at Algoma.
Please sign the online condolences at everestofthunderbay.com
