Joan Karen (nee Pedersen) Draper peacefully passed away in her sleep in the late hours of Saturday, May 30, 2026 at Grace Hill Residence with her daughter Tammy lovingly at her side after a long illness. Her loss is mourned by husband Victor, daughters Tammy Draper and Kerry Andersen (Tom), grandchildren Gilmour and Payton Legg, Josephine and Charlotte Andersen, brothers John and Eric Pedersen (Diane) and sisters, Linda Pedersen and Deborah Abraham, nephews Gregory and Christopher Pedersen, Austin Abraham and niece Jennifer Abraham, and by her many friends in Ottawa, the Laurentians and beyond.

Joan’s fulfilling life began on September 28 in Lachine, Quebec where she was born to proud parents Johannes and Rhoda (nee Conn) Pedersen. Her first eight years were spent in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, where she was later joined by brothers John and Eric. It was here in Ste Anne’s that Joan began exploring beyond her back yard, seeking new adventures and making friends along the way, often dragging her younger brother along as her accomplice.

In 1949 her family moved to Cornwall, Ontario where her father, a Danish baker by trade, had opened his pastry shop, Select Pastry, on Pitt Street the year before. It was in Cornwall that Joan’s younger sisters, Linda and Debbie, were born in the 1950’s. She attended both Central Public and East Front Elementary Schools. She loved to visit her father’s bake shop at noon or after school and treat herself and friends to her father’s pastries. Joan continued her adventuresome excursions often with her school mates and neighbourhood chums. She liked to join different youth groups, many were church affiliated ones - she was very ecumenical! One such group, unknown to her parents was with the Orange Lodge. She liked the idea of marching in their annual July 12th parade dressed in a white gown. This greatly upset her mother who made her quit because of the Lodge’s inherent bigotry at the time. However, both parents were proud of her when she joined the Girl Guides at Trinity Anglican and a photograph of her receiving one of her Guide badges appeared in the local newspaper, The Standard Freeholder.

She continued her education at St Lawrence High School where she actively participated in many extracurricular activities. She was a member of the school band as a clarinet player, playing at all the school’s football games, in Remembrance Day parades and at the annual inspection of the mandatory school cadet program in June. She seldom missed any of the schools ‘tea dances’ or ‘sock hops’ after each football game. She also played on the school’s girls basketball team.

Joan graduated from high school in 1959 and began her three-year training as a student nurse at the Ottawa Cicvic Hospital. Her desire to be a nurse was partly inspired by her Danish Aunt Karen who had visited with the family in the early 1950’s. After graduation she continued with her profession as a RN at the Civic Hospital for a number of years, working in different departments gaining vast experience in the field of nursing, including working on drug studies. Her caring and professionalism as a nurse extended beyond the hospital to many of her family members.

During her early years as a nurse, Joan met her future husband, Vic Draper at a mutual friend’s party. The Pedersens only found out about Vic when Joan’s youngest sister Debbie returned home from an Ottawa visit, and announced to her parents that Joan had a boyfriend. They were married in 1965 and were life partners for the next 61 years, with Vic being an honorary member of the Pedersen clan.

In their early years of marriage, they bought a house on Carriage Court in the growing suburbs of Ottawa west and is where they raised their two daughters, Tammy and Kerry in their formative and early adolescent years. Many summers were happily spent in their park-like back yard with an in-ground swimming pool, and with the air filled with the sound of laughter and splashing water. While living at Carriage Court, the Draper family began their life long passion for downhill skiing, travelling to Arundel on weekends, staying with their friends, the Leggetts, and skiing at Mont-Tremblant.

Joan made a major career change in the early 90’s when she left nursing at the Civic Hospital and joined Clinimetrics Research Associates, providing clinical trial management for various pharmaceutical studies in cities across Canada and the United States. Which included her favourite, New York City. This job spoke to both Joan’s strengths and character, working with people in the medical profession and being on the move, visiting different hospitals and clinics in two countries.

Upon Vic’s retirement, as an elementary school principal, they purchased and renovated a century-old farmhouse with 6 acres in Arundel Quebec, close to their many friends in the area. While Joan continued her travels with Clinimetrics, she was still able to spend time and energy on her love of interior design and decorating, making their new residence a warm and welcoming home. She also loved to putz around in her gardens helping to create a similar welcoming ambience.

Upon retirement, Joan continued to be active in her home and garden, and as a welcoming hostess to family and friends, and always with her life-long sense of fun and enjoyment of the good life. Joan and Vic were able to accommodate visits of their growing family of grandchildren and other guests on holidays and special occasions with an apartment they had included on top of a newly built garage designed by their daughter Kerry. Many happy hours were spent on beautiful sunny days filled with laughter and drinks in their screened in porch overlooking the lovely groomed lawn and majestic 100-year old willow tree.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, August 13th, 2026 at 1:00pm at Le Grand Lodge, located at 2396 Rue Labelle, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. Please RSVP to kada03@icloud.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.