CAWKER, Jo-Anne -
March 21, 1957 - September 22, 2023
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the untimely passing of Jo-Anne Cawker (née Guscott), on the warm afternoon of September 22nd, after a brief, tragic battle with pancreatic cancer.
She passed away at home, surrounded by her loving family and pooches while listening to the music of some of her favourite artists ELP and The Beatles.
She is immediately survived by her husband of 39 years, Scott, their three wonderful children, Bronwyn, Madison and Samuel, and their two fur children Juniper and Archie.
She is predeceased by her mother (Betty) and father (Neil) and was the first of a very large group of siblings Dianne, Ron (Anne), Susan, Nancy, Barbara, and Bill, all of whom will miss her, to dance off into eternity. She will also be sorely missed by her siblings in-law Andy, Anne, Mike, Lea (Dan Kitchen), Mark (Cindy) and Christie, and her twenty-three nieces and nephews.
Jo-Anne's passion for entertaining was set ablaze in her later years where she could be found attending Zumba and tap dance classes at the Bowmanville Older Adult Association, Courtice Recreation Centre and at various other locations in Oshawa. She tap danced for over 25 years, and the family home feels eerily quiet without the sound of her tapping away in the foyer.
She was an avid volunteer in and around Clarington, and enjoyed donning a plethora of costumes on various occasions to the delight of the young and old alike. She could often be found in the neighbourhood walking the many family dogs we've had over the years while discussing the day's hot topics and having a good laugh with friends.
An enigmatic soul to say the least, she was whimsical, deeply creative, mischievous and good spirited sprinkled with a dash of Halloween macabre, delighting in films of the horror genre and dispensing her brand of dark humour on social media. Saturated with maternal instincts, this momma bear would burst with pride when she talked about the many accomplishments of her children.
We will miss this exceptional wife, mother, and friend. She elicited a vast array of strong emotions in all of us and we'll always be grateful for the years that we had the privilege of spending with her. We will try our best to continue to shine the light she brought into our lives into the world at large.
Many thanks to the oncology team at Lakeridge Health, namely Dr. Jeffrey Rothenstein, and her palliative care nurse Stephanie for their compassionate, thoughtful care.
Please feel free to join us in celebrating Jo-Anne's life on October 14 at Valleyview Park Clubhouse at 2:00 p.m.
And if you are able to do so, please consider donating to Pancreatic Cancer Canada.
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