"Dear Pat and the whole Irvine Family, Words are of little comfort when God call your loved one home. You have our deepest sympathies and condolences for your loss of Joanna. Joanna made life better for everyone who was privileged to know and love her. She will always be a blessing and a gift from God. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with you all. Love, Dan & Kate Burke "
In loving memory of
Joanna Irvine
January 13, 1962 - February 1, 2022
Joanna Irvine passed away peacefully on February 1, 2022, after fighting cancer for almost seven years. She was active until almost her last day, still doing crossword puzzles and watching the news, Jeopardy and the Australian Open tennis tournament. She had recently celebrated her 60th birthday, an important milestone because she never thought she would see it.
Joanna Kirkpatrick Houston was born in 1962 in Croydon, England, to Ann and John Houston, and grew up in Ireland, near Dublin from age six months to nine years, and then in Belfast until she was eighteen. She graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, with a Bachelor of Arts in genetics, and earned a Master of Science from the University of Glasgow. She met Patrick Irvine on a train in Scotland in 1985, when she was returning to Ireland for her sister's birthday and he was on his first trip to Europe. After corresponding and exchanging visits, they were married at Trinity College in 1988, and she moved to Phoenix, his hometown. She worked as a genetic researcher for several years, before focusing on raising her four children. She loved being a mother and was very proud of each of her children. Her pets were always part of the family, and her dogs Molly and Maggie continued to provide great comfort to her and lots of laughs with their antics. Molly was particularly attuned to Joanna's condition and when she was hurting would go to her and stretch out her paw as if saying "Everything will be alright." Prior to her illness she was working as a pharmacy technician.
Joanna always wanted to learn new things and travel to new places. Even after her cancer diagnosis, she and Pat traveled whenever possible, visiting England, Italy, Spain and Paris, as well as Quebec City, Maine, San Francisco, Sequoia National Park, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York. Trips to the beach in San Diego happened almost every year beginning shortly after her arrival in Phoenix. She appreciated the Arizona sunshine, but not the long summer heat. In San Diego she loved to body surf, find shells and just walk along the surf. When celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary in San Diego, she decided to go parasailing and went up twice.
She also loved nature, with visits to New York City usually including a bird watching tour in Central Park, and everywhere she went she admired flowers, plants and animals. She was always on the lookout for hedgehog greeting cards and other items, and was thrilled to find a hedgehog cast into one of the bronze doors of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Joanna repeatedly visited Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior, Red Rock State Park near Sedona, and Tonto Natural Bridge near Payson. She enjoyed being able to take day trips to ski at the Snow Bowl, and skied as recently as 2019.
One activity she truly loved was knitting, especially cables and lace, and she made many beautiful things. She would knit everywhere and often strike up conversations with other knitters. She was a longtime member of Cactus Needles Knitting Guild, as well as Caring Crafters at her church and Love, Hooks and Needles cancer survivor knitting group that began at the Virginia Piper Cancer Center. The latter group continued meeting during the pandemic via zoom, which she really enjoyed and looked forward to because so many social groups were impossible while she was getting chemotherapy. She also had great fun with activities at the Cancer Support Community Arizona, especially clay class, book club and yoga.
She is survived by her husband, Pat, a daughter Clare (Mike) of Albany NY, and three sons, Brian of Phoenix, John (Lily) of Gilbert, and Paul of Seattle WA, as well as her mother, Ann Houston, two sisters, Gail and Barbara, a niece and four nephews, all living in England, and numerous in-laws.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 19, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. in the close at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 6300 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix.