Obituary of Joan Brooks

Please click here to view the livestream of the service

Mrs. Joan K. Brooks passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at the age of 58, after a 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Joan was born on April 24, 1964 in Regina, SK, and was raised on a farm in the Kayville, SK area, by her parents George and Anne Gafencu (d. February 9th 1999, d. January 2nd 2017), along with her siblings Dwayne (Denise), Barb (Bo), and Debbie. She moved to Regina in 1982, where she resided until her death. 

A loving wife, mother, and grandmother, Joan enjoyed her life with her husband Paul (married February 9, 1985) and their children Justin (Kara - children: Kitt and Finn), Jordin (Dakota), and Cayley (Brandon), as well as with her step-children Darwin (Jenn - children: Ryan and Dylan) and Shylo (Matt - children: Kaydence and Logan), as well as her mother-in-law, Joan Sexauer. Joan was also a devoted animal mom, and spent her life loving and spoiling all of her fur babies. 

The Brooks family would like to thank the staff at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre, as well as the staff of the Pasqua Hospital, with a special mention to the doctors and nurses in the emergency unit, unit 3B, and unit 5D. Their hard work and compassion meant the world to Joan and her family. The family would also like to thank Dr. Kimberly Hagel, who worked so hard to provide Joan with the best treatment options available; her kindness and dedication was a breath of fresh air, and will never be forgotten.

The service, officiated by Pastor Darlene Harrison, will take place at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. There will be no luncheon following the service, per Joan’s wishes. Attendees are welcome to wear colour in Joan’s honour, as her wardrobe was known to be as bright as her spirit. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan.

“You can shed tears because they are gone, or you can smile because they lived.
You can close your eyes and pray they will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that they left for you.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see them, or it can be full with the love you shared…
Smile, open your heart, love, and go on.”