In Honour of Joan Gallacher 1939 – 2023
Sponsored by Sharron Higgins
Joan Gallacher was born in Kincaid, Saskatchewan, on May 31,1939. Poor during the Depression, she rode bareback to school wearing a dress sewn from a flour sack. At the age of 18 years, she left the farm and moved to Winnipeg to attend the St. Boniface Hospital School of Nursing.
Within 3 years she was managing an 80-bed Medical-Surgical ward. Joan then moved to Comox, BC to practice Public Health Nursing. A field she remained in, throughout her 40-year career in Victoria, Ottawa, and Vancouver. During that time, she earned a BScN from the University of Victoria, and a Masters in Nursing Science from the University of Portland, Oregon.
Professionally, Joan was always interested in health promotion and prevention in a broader capacity rather than the curative model of health care. In 1983, The Registered Nurses Association of BC asked for volunteers to start up an interest group that would promote community health nursing. Joan stepped up and formed a small provincial group named the “Community Health Interest Group of BC.”
In 1990, when they moved to Ottawa for Dan’s career at the National Museum of Civilization, Joan continued her career path by proudly working for the Canadian Nurses Association actively leading a prominent research project promoting Community Health.
Joan and her husband Dan were married for 57 years. Together they raised children, built careers, owned their home, played bridge, enjoyed nature, travelled throughout Canada, U.S, Europe, surmounted challenges, and saw dreams come to fruition. Joan was proud of the fact that their marriage remained strong throughout their lives
Joan was a caring and loving Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother.