Obituary of Joyce Corner
CORNER, Joyce
Remarkable, incredible, strong, special, are just a few words that have been shared in describing Alison Joyce Corner, (née Baker), and they do little to truly encapsulate the life she lived. Born on May 27th, 1927, in Toronto, Joyce passed away peacefully at the age of 97 at Hospice Peterborough with loved ones by her side. After winter on the mainland, Joyce was determined to make it back to her island home on Stoney Lake, Bellevue, and she did just that. Two days before her 97th birthday, she spent the evening at Bellevue with family and her beloved golden retriever, Emma, before suffering a massive stroke.
Predeceased by her biggest fan and adoring husband Don, with whom she shared 62 years of marriage. Joyce was also a loving mother to Janice (d. John) Anderson, Gord (Brenda), Doug (Janet), and Bill (Carol); grandmother to John, Lisa, Lori, Dan, Mike (Sadie), Alison (Andrew), Joe, and April (Martin); and great grandma to Jack, Kaede, Andrea, Jocelyn, Kara, Savannah and Max. She is also predeceased by her sister Lenore (d. Bill), brother Dave (d. Joan), and survived by her sister Diane (d. Dave) Ferguson and many nieces and nephews. Joyce was the kinkeeper of her family and will be greatly missed by all.
Beyond her family, Joyce also leaves a legacy in the world of synchronized swimming (artistic swimming), a sport she started at age nine and continued to compete (and win gold medals) at international world competitions well into her 80s, with her sister and duet partner Diane. She was instrumental in the growth of the sport around the world and her illustrious career has been recognized with accolades such as an induction into the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame, the Synchro Canada Bridge Builders Award and an induction on the Ontario Artistic Swimming Wall of Honor. She co-founded the Mississauga Synchronized Swimming Club, supported the creation of the Kawartha Trent Synchro Club, judged across Canada and internationally with FINA, including at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and more. She led judging clinics, supported the development of new teams globally and opened her doors to swimmers from around the world. She was able to travel Canada and the world for competitions in which she both competed and judged. From Venezuela to Egypt, Russia to Australia, Malaysia to Peru, China to Newfoundland, and everywhere in between, she loved traveling. But she loved coming home to her family and Stoney Lake even more. Joyce was also an active community member teaching aquafit until the age of 92, driving herself to Friday afternoon bridge until the fall of 2023 and contributing to the Apsley Backroads Magazine until her death.
A celebration of Joyce's life will be held on July 7th, 2024, from 1:00-3:00pm at her favorite place, Bellevue, on Stoney Lake. Friends and family are invited to come together to celebrate her phenomenal life and share their fondest memories. If you require directions, please email joycecorner296@gmail.com.
Arrangements entrusted to HENDREN FUNERAL HOME-LAKEFIELD CHAPEL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice Peterborough or The Stony Lake Heritage Foundation. Condolences and donations may be made by visiting www.hendrenfuneralhome.com, or by calling 705 652-3355
Thank you to the teams at Sunnybrook Hospital, Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Hospice Peterborough for keeping her comfortable in her final days. Thank you also, to the firefighters and first responders of North Kawartha.
Joyce's impact on her family, friends and the synchro community will be felt for generations to come, and her memory will live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know her.