Joan Anita Matthew, 78, was born on June 29, 1938, in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, to Mari de Gourville and Hector John. She was part of a large family consisting of 14 children that only grew larger over the years.
As a child, Joan was extremely loving and kind. Her family knew her as being hard-working and consistently contributing around the house, especially with one of her favorite activities, cleaning. Even as she grew older, Joan loved to clean and couldn’t stand a dirty house.
Joan entered adulthood at the early age of 16 with the birth of her first child, Patricia. She would eventually expand her family with the additions of Gillian, Anthony and JoAnne. Joan was known for being the life of the party, especially during carnival season. There was nobody on the island who could wine better than Joan.
Her dancing was so legendary that she was named Queen of the Band during competition. Her passion for dance almost took her life. On her way back from a dance, Joan was in a terrible car accident that nearly killed her. She remembered this moment her entire life and often told the story of when she saw Jesus on that terrifying day. Even though the odds weren’t in her favor, Joan pushed through and gained the strength to make a recovery.
Searching for a better opportunity, Joan moved to St. Croix, Virgin Islands, in the late 1960’s, where she would eventually meet her future husband, Raymond Matthew. She built a life for her family by doing one of the things that she did best, cook. Joan was a fantastic chef who was known for her Bake and Saltfish. She transformed these skills into a lucrative business, selling food out of a van.
While in St. Croix, Joan never forgot about her family back in Trinidad. She became an underground conductor of sorts who would help anyone who wanted to start a life in America. Her home was always open and she always did her best to help anyone in need.
After the end of her relationship with Raymond, Joan decided to move to Queens, N.Y. She held several different jobs from housekeeping in the Marriott Hotel to administrative work at ADP. Regardless of the job she held, Joan always made time to spend with family. Joan eventually left New York City for Hempstead, Long Island, a place she considered home for over 30 years. She knew that town like the back of her hand, always walking from place to place. When she wasn’t walking to run her errands, Joan could be caught watching her favorite program, the news. She loved talking about the weather and current events. If she wasn’t watching the news, she was keeping up with her favorite ABC soap operas.
As her health failed, Joan moved to Virginia Beach to be closer to her family. She still had that fire in her eyes and never backed down from a dancing challenge. On Jan. 8, 2017, birds were chirping loudly as Joan viewed the freshly fallen snow, one of her favorite times of the year, before peacefully passing in her sleep at Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Romans 3:23-24 (CEV)
23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.
A memorial celebration will be held from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the chapel of St. Marks Catholic Church, 1505 Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, with a fellowship repast immediately following the service.
