Meet Joan Pashley, who was born in England in 1934 and who has led a fascinating life filled with love, laughter, cats and of course, chocolate!
When Joan finished school she started working as a clerk at EMI Records, and then worked on the production line at Nestles, now known as Nestle. Joan remembers going home smelling like chocolates – but never got sick of eating them!
Joan eventually met the love of her life, George, who she married in London. They went on to have a son, Colin. In October 1967, they joined the rest of Joan’s family – her parents and her sister Janet - who had moved to Australia years earlier. They lived with extended family in Springvale for a year before moving to Noble Park and finally settling in their own home in Keysborough.
Joan again started working initially with Gillette, went back to homemaking and then worked at Huckson’s Die cast until she retired. She considers raising Colin as a great achievement.
Colin took care of her after she suffered an accident, and with increasing care needs, Joan came to Uniting AgeWell Noble Park for a respite stay. She felt welcome and cared for, made friends and had fun, so it was an easy decision to become a permanent resident in August this year.
Joan looks forward to visits from Christina and therapy dog Jasper. And that’s high praise from someone who is a die-hard cat lover – over the years she has cared for nine cats.
Joan keeps busy going on bus outings and doing exercises, word games, bingo and cooking sessions. She also enjoys social gatherings, concerts and events. Joan is a member of the Union Jack Club made up of residents originally from the UK. In her spare time, Joan enjoys reading magazines, watching The Chase UK and Australia on TV and listening to Neil Mitchell on the radio. Come footy season, you’ll see Joan, who barracks for St Kilda, glued to the TV.
Joan considers health and family as the most important things in life and says “Enjoy life and make the most of it”.
Find out more about living at Noble Park Community